Demon's Fall
by randomteenager
Summary: Sakura’s life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can’t fall in love with each other. SasuSaku
1. Part I

**A/N: ****Looks like I'm going to start editing this one too.**

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. [SasuSaku

**Chapter 1 – Fallen Angel?**

"Sakura! Open up this damn door!" Sakura's father, Haruno Tetsuki, yelled. _Damn…! _Sakura cursed, _He's drunk again…_ She quickly dodged under her bed, loathing the times when her abusive father would drink too much.

_**Again?!**_ Inner Sakura complained, groaning. _**Damn it all!**_ Ever since her mother died, her father had become abusive. He had repeatedly told Sakura over and over that it was she to blame for her mother's tragic death.

Which happened three years ago. Sakura was now 17 years old, only one more year and she could be free from the world's most evil bastard. To the rest of the city of Konohagakure, her father was a "perfect dad", having all the respect of the villagers. That is, until he's alone in the house with Sakura. That's hell on earth.

The pink-haired girl winced with every furious pound on the door. _The door's not going to last for much longer…_ Sakura thought, gulping as her body shook from fear awaiting the inevitable impact she knew she was bound to receive. The poundings ceased and Sakura took a breath of relief. A few moments of peace later, poundings started again. _Shit, he must've been listening to see if I was there, _she told herself, mentally scolding the fact that she had breathed out of relief so loud—loud enough to hear even from behind a door, that is..

Sakura hid deeper in her bed, pushing idle clothes and shoes in front of her to conceal her location. After about an hour later, the harsh knocking noise on the door stopped. _It's about time,_ Sakura thought, used to the ritual of her father bothering her for about an hour before leaving after his drunken mind had taken a rest. If only she knew that when she was younger.

Sakura cautiously got out from under her bed, her body sore from crouching down for a long time. She stretched her body out, wincing at her sore muscles and painful bruises. _How no one could figure out I was getting abused for so long… _Sakura pondered, _I'll never know. _She smiled a bitter smile. _Maybe I'm just so good at lying and thinking of believable excuses_, she added, absentmindedly rubbing one of her healing bruises from a few days ago.

Her father had constantly threatened that if she dare say anything about his "anger management" control, he would murder her, making it appear as a suicide. After all, he was in Konoha' s police force—the _captain_, too—and was used to seeing it and how exactly the scenario would appear. In other words, from being in the police department for so long, he knew how to carry out and get away with murder just as well as any other mastermind criminal. Sakura, thinking it was to save her life, believed her threat. All Sakura had to do was tell a simple white lie when people would ask of her cuts and bruises. She would say lies such as had fallen or just wasn't careful. A different lie to each person, as it had been for three years.

Sakura whimpered quietly before she felt a chill in the air. Then she realized that she had left her window open, but didn't bother to move to close it. _If I close it,_ she thought, _He will hear it, and I don't want to deal with him now. _

_**That's right, just leave that fucking window open if it'll make that son of a bitch dad of ours not bother us!**_ Inner Sakura exclaimed. Sakura's alter ego was very free with the language she used.

Sakura sighed, deciding to just leave the window open. Her body shivered from the lack of heat, but the pink-haired girl didn't bother to cover herself with a jacket. She was too afraid of making any sound at the moment. Instead, she used the open window to her advantage, crawling out of it quietly. She had done it numerous times before, sneaking back in since her father would be snoring in his filthy bed, not hearing her stealthily crawl back in without making a sound. _Someone…_ she thought to herself, emerald eyes looking up towards the midnight black night sky. _Save me._

She walked into the forest that was not too far from Konoha. After all, it wasn't called "Hidden in the Leaves" for nothing. Even though she was only in a pair of shorts and a white tank top, she didn't care. She just wanted out of that house, and night was the only time to do it. Tears were spilling from her eyes, but emotionally her mind or body didn't feel any sadness. This happened often, and Sakura wished she knew why.

She couldn't cry in her control anymore. Ever since her mother died, tears would fall freely from her eyes, without her control. She often had to explain to Naruto, one of her best friends, that she didn't know why the clear liquid fell from her emerald eyes. Naruto would look at her worriedly, his cerulean blue eyes showing concern. But the pink-haired girl would just tell him to forget about it, and that she really was fine. And he would just leave it like that, not wanting to upset his close friend.

Then she felt a cold chill in the air, and was sure that it wasn't because of the night breeze. _What's… going on?_ Sakura wondered as she suddenly noticed the sky darkening. "It wasn't supposed to rain today…" Sakura said to no one in particular. _This is really weird…_ Sakura contemplated as she spun on her heel and sprinted back to her father's house.

Then she heard a loud clapping sound. The pink-haired girl immediately looked at the sky. _**What the hell?**_ Inner Sakura asked loudly. A struck of lightening hit the ground, revealing someone, or something, hidden in the shadows. Sakura took a couple of steps back, her jade green eyes showing a hint of fear. "Who… wh-who's there?" She called out hesitantly.

The dark shadow remained silent until he took a step forward, the moonlight striking his figure. Sakura gasped, her green eyes widening in pure shock. _I have never…_ Sakura thought, her mouth still gaping, _seen anything… like _thatThe figure before her was—to put it simply—breath taking. Sakura took a deep inhale of air, even pinched herself on her skin—ignoring the pain from her bruises—to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

The moonlight shone brilliantly off the person's flawless pale skin. He had spiky raven-hair with a few strands hanging perfectly in front of his face as well as piercing onyx eyes that you could look at forever. Aside from his face, his body wasn't too bad either. Definitely fit, as shown from his muscles on his perfect chest. Sakura could feel her mouth going dry, blinking her eyes numerously as she clearly couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"A gorgeous thing, aren't I,_ Sa-ku-ra_?" his smooth, husky voice said, purring the pink-haired girl's name. Sakura closed her mouth, then opened it to respond to him before realizing that nothing was coming out. She put her arm on her porcelain neck, her hand resting on her throat as she tried to work her voice properly.

His rich voice chuckled, "You have no clue what I am, do you?"

Sakura shook her head, before summoning up the courage to take a few steps towards the creature. "_What_ you are?" she said, her voice practically inaudible. "Don't you mean _who_ you are?"

The demon merely shook his head. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke," said he. "A demon from hell, sent here to help you."

Sakura blinked her apple green eyes disbelief before she regained her voice to it's normal sound. "A demon? You don't look like one. Prove it." The pink-haired girl crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for proof.

_**What're you doing?! You could be getting us killed!**_ Inner Sakura panicked.

"Ah, a feisty little one, aren't you?" Sasuke answered in a soft tone, a sinful smirk setting place on his features. "Fine, as you wish." He added a mock bow before a cool breeze swept through the area. Just then, his original raven hair began to grow past his shoulders as a violet shade took place. His piercing and dark onyx eyes turned into a bloody crimson. His white teeth began to grow fangs in it as black claws formed from his fingernails. His back hunched over, and a couple of minutes later two black wings sprung from his back. Sakura gasped, seeing the two feathery wings bursting from his flesh.

Sakura forced herself to let out a small, quiet scream. Her head felt like it was spinning 200 miles a second. She clutched her head with both of her hands, trying to prevent herself from going insane. _This is crazy, this is crazy…!_ she chanted in her mind. _This can't be real. This can't be happening. I _must _be dreaming, I must be—_

Sasuke's deep voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Is this proof?" the now demon Sasuke said, his voice deadly and sinister. The pink-haired girl gulped, nodding slowly. "Good," said the evil spirit, his smirk never leaving his face.

A couple of minutes past with his smirk still on his face as he transformed back into his "human form." Sakura took a couple of steps closer to Sasuke, still trying to get a good, clear look from him. "Sasuke," Sakura said, waiting to see if she had gotten his name right. His onyx eyes averted up to her jade green ones and Sakura could feel her lust growing. Such seductive, haunting eyes the being before her possessed.

"What exactly are you doing _here_? Is there something you want from me?" Sakura interrogated softly as her voice shrinked back into the whisper it was when she first saw him. She still could not believe her eyes—or believe what was happening.

Sasuke raised his eyebrow, feeling a tinge of irritation. "I answered that. I'm here to help you." The pink-haired girl gulped again, taking a couple more steps towards him to the point where he was only a few yards away.

"H-Help me how? I need no one's help," She told him, her voice containing hints of stubbornness. _Does he mean help me with my 'father'…?_

"If you didn't need my help, I wouldn't be here," he retorted.

_What do I do…? _The girl pondered in her mind.

_**Trust him, he doesn't seem like a bad guy.**_

_But…?_

_**He's the answer to your 'prayers'. You asked for someone to 'save' you, and here is Mr. I'm-God's-Gift-To-Women offering his 'services', if he even has any. Trust him, and let's see what he can do.**_

_I don't trust anyone!_

"Maybe it's about time you do," Sasuke interrupted smoothly. Sakura gave him a confused expression.

_Did he just... read my thoughts?_

"No, I can't read thoughts. I may be a demon, but I'm not a psychic." he answered her, a sinister grin on his flawless pale face.

"Then how did you know…?"

"Your face. It shows what you're thinking as clear as if you were saying it to me," the demon smirked. "You are an open book."

Ignoring his comment, Sakura stuttered out a question of her own. "You're here to… help me?" Her voice was just above a whisper. It all seemed too good to be true. "Help me… with _him_?"

The demon nodded, his grin still plastered on his face. Sakura walked closer to him, their proximity close enough where they were only a few feet apart. "Really? N-no joke? I can finally be…?" _Free? _her mind finished for her. After all, being only seventeen she was still considered a minor and was held against her own free will in her father's house.

"That's right," Sasuke confirmed. "But there's just one---" Before he could finish, Sakura threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as though her life depended on it. Sasuke just looked at the pink-haired girl hugging him. She just looked so… desperate to his sharp eyes.

"Thank you…" She whispered quietly, holding on to him tighter, like she never wanted to let go. "Really…"

Sasuke just stood there while the girl clung on to him before, eventually, slowly encircling his arms around her thin waist to comfort her.

_Just one thing: We can't fall in love._

**A/N:** **First edit is done.**


	2. Part II

A/N: Edit number two

**A/N: ****Edit number two.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

**Chapter 2 – Explanation**

Sakura's emerald green eyes fluttered open when she felt warm sunshine shining upon them.

_Wait…_ she thought, _**Sunshine**__?_

She immediately sat upright and looked at her surroundings, her head moving side to side rapidly as her unique pastel pink hair followed her movements. She was still in the forest from when she had sneaked out the night before. She could hear the chirps of birds' cueing it was morning.

_Oh no! My dad's going to kill me!_ The girl thought. Sakura frantically tried to get her lying body up until she noticed something heavy was upon her, preventing her from doing so.

She looked up confused then saw Sasuke's serene face. _What the hell?! Who is he?_ Flashes of the memories from the night before floated into her mind.

_**Wow! Déjà vu!**_ Inner Sakura had said. Sakura blushed, remembering that she had fallen asleep in his embrace and assumed that he had laid her down to rest.

"So, I see you're awake," stated a low, husky voice.

The pink-haired flushed hotly at his voice. She turned around, seeing the smirking face of the handsome man. She immediately felt her face growing hotter.

"Yeah… sorry about that, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh as he leaned his head back. He shrugged, "You can call me whatever you want, just no formalities. I'm just here to help you."

The girl's face twisted in confusion, an eyebrow rising from his statement. "Wait, if you're a demon from hell then shouldn't you be making my life worse, not better?"

"Heaven is giving me a second chance," Sasuke murmured, before getting up while scooping Sakura up in his arms with a playful smirk on his face.

"H-Hey! Put me down! I have to get home, my dad's going to kill me!" Sasuke let out a low chuckle and Sakura could feel her lust rising as heat formed on her cheeks yet again.

"Don't worry, he didn't notice that you were gone. He left for work." Sakura let out a sigh of relief as Sasuke felt herself relax in his strong arms. "So you have the whole day with me," He teased, letting out a small growl to encourage the mood.

_In my human life, all the girls would fall for that trick…_ Sasuke thought, leering as he saw Sakura's deep red face. _She looks like a tomato, _he absent-mindedly thought, letting out a chuckle.

"Sasuke-kun…" she managed to choke out, barely. "Please put me down."

He put her down, resting his arms to the side of his body. Then Sakura remembered that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and blushed harder, if that was even possible. Her face already felt like it was on fire. "Do you have a fever, _Sa-ku-ra_?" he teased her yet again. The said girl shook her head mildly side to side, successfully ridding her blush. Then his expression grew serious.

"But, there is something I need to clear up with you," Sasuke said, running a hand through his spiky raven hair. The pink-haired girl's head cocked to the side, curious. "I am here to help you, but there's something in return that you have to do for me."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, nodding as indication for him to continue.

"You-can't-fall-in-love-with-me," He said, pausing in between words like they were syllables. Sasuke knew he had to explain even more when he saw her dawned on even more confusion.

"Why not?" she asked. 'Even though we just met… I already feel so comfortable with you"—at that, she blushed having just realized she admitted that out loud—"like I've known you my whole life…"

_**And don't forget that he's **_**smokin'**_**!**_ Inner Sakura said, laughing mischievously.

"If you fall in love with me, I leave—for good. And you can't have anyone help you and your life will literally become a living hell," explain the pale faced demon. Sakura nodded before she felt herself shiver from a gust of wind. Then she remembered she was only in a pair of shorts and a white tank top. Sasuke chuckled, "Cold?"

Sakura shivered again, "I'm fine. I'll just go home and get—" she stopped when she felt Sasuke's arms go around her and pull her into an embrace, in an effort to warm her. "S-Sasuke… kun, I thought you couldn't—"

Sasuke nodded, "I know. This isn't a sign of affection, I'm just warming you up."

"Oh," she stated meekly, feeling foolish. She winced when she put pressure on her right ankle.

_No wonder my muscle was so sore here! _She thought._ My stupid father broke my ankle!_

_**That bastard… just one more year and we'll never have to depend on him!**_ Inner Sakura's eyes burned with revengeful fury.

Sasuke noticed Sakura favoring her right ankle, raising a curious eyebrow, "Hurt yourself?"

Sakura scoffed, "No, my stupid son of a bitch 'father' did."

Sasuke rose an elegant eyebrow at her language, then simply nodded, scooping her up in his arms again.

"Sasuke-kun… that isn't really necessary…" Sakura mumbled as she felt her heartbeat quickening rapidly. However Sasuke wasn't paying much attention.

_If I'm going to help this girl_ he thought, _they could've told me at least something about her._

"What're you going to do?" Sakura asked, interrupting Sasuke's train of thought. He made a small, "Hn" sound, and Sakura misunderstood that as meaning he didn't hear her. "What are you supposed to do, to help me?"

"I need to 'observe' you and see what I can do to help you first," he answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh," Sakura answered, looking at the floor and sighing. Her ankle throbbed with pain, and she winced.

"Can anyone else see you?" Sakura asked, "I don't want to make it look like I'm insane if I'm talking to nothing."

Sasuke chuckled, "I can become visible to the human eye whenever you want me to." Sakura let a small "Oh," escape her lips, settling herself in Sasuke's strong arms.

"What do you mean when you say that you're going to observe me? Like take notes or something?"

_**Maybe he's going to watch everything we do!**_ Inner Sakura suggested whilst wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

_Uh… everything?_

"I'm not going to be watching every little thing you do," Sasuke replied, "because that's just creepy. I'm just going to see what's miserable in your life."

Sakura moved her emerald green gaze towards the floor, "Everything in my life is miserable. I have the worst life ever…" She trailed off.

Sasuke clenched his teeth, grounding his molars against one another. "You don't have the worst life."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do!"

Sasuke stopped walking as his raven bangs covered his dark onyx orbs. The sight made Sakura's body shake lightly in fear. He looked so ominous, and very threatening, and her being in his arms made her vulnerable, especially with a broken ankle.

"You don't have the worse life," He repeated in an icy tone. "You've never had your whole family killed in front of your eyes for no particular reason at all. You've never had a bastard brother who killed them just to see you live through hell. You've never lived in isolation and stay up every single fucking night to keep your guard up in case the bastard ever came back to murder you. Don't you _dare_ think you have the worst life."

A weak gasp escaped the pink-haired girl.

Instantly, her emerald orbs filled with remorse. "Is that what happened to you… Sasuke?" she whispered, absent-mindedly stroking the side of his pale face with the back of her left hand. Sasuke muttered incomprehensible words before going back to his cool façade.

"Forget I said that," he muttered, placing her down in the front of her house. Sakura winced when her broken ankle came in contact with the cement ground.

"Don't move," The raven-haired demon instructed her, crouching down next to Sakura's foot.

"W-What are you doing?" Sakura asked hesitantly as a weird blue glow appeared on Sasuke's right hand.

"I'm apart of the supernatural, after all I am a demon," He said, placing his glowing hand over Sakura's ankle. After a few seconds, her ankle was fully healed and Sakura just looked at it dumbfounded.

"H-how did you do that?" she asked, her voice full of confusion and her face full of utter disbelief.

Sasuke sighed, "Didn't I just answer that?"

"Well y-yeah but…!" Sakura stuttered, not bothering to finish her sentence since she knew she had nothing else to say. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, giving the raven-haired demon a fake smile.

Sasuke squinted his onyx eyes, _Why are all of her smiles fake?_ he pondered.

Sakura rose a questioning eyebrow at his intense gaze, "Something wrong?"

Sasuke took the opportunity to speak his thought aloud. "Why are all your smiles faked?"

The pink-haired girl looked at him with a surprised expression_. How come he's the only one who could tell?_ she thought, emerald orbs widening, astonished.

_**Maybe he's the chosen one**_, Inner Sakura teased.

"I… just don't know how to give a real smile anymore." She answered truthfully, finding no point in lying, "The closest thing to a smile I can give… is a fake one. Except with certain people."

Sasuke nodded, understanding her logic.

Sakura walked in her house, followed by the raven-haired demon. "If I were to tell Naruto about this…" she asked slowly, "Would that be…'okay'?"

Sasuke sneered, "Who's Naruto? Sounds like a dobe."

Sakura gave him a light glare, "Don't be so rude. Naruto's a close friend of mine. He helps me deal with my bastard of a father." While Sakura was talking, she got out food and began cooking a meal.

_Dear old dad is going to be home soon and he gets pretty cranky when there's no food waiting for him, _She thought bitterly, biting her tongue to prevent herself from screaming in annoyance.

"I'm tired of living here!" she said, not realizing she had yelled it out loud. She looked at Sasuke from the corner of her eye, feeling foolish when she saw his serious stare towards her direction. "Sorry about that…" she mumbled.

He narrowed his dark onyx eyes. _She has an abusive dad… and I'm here to help her with that? How the hell can I do that?_

"What do you want to happen so that you will have a better life?" Sasuke asked monotone, deciding to get the answer out of the pink-haired girl herself. S

akura slumped her shoulders while she stirred ingredients of food in a pot, "…I don't know. I've never been offered the opportunity to change anything before…"

"You've never thought about it?" Sasuke asked, making the question sound like a statement.

_**Wow, he really knows how to belittle people, **_her inner self stated.

_I'm sure he's not doing that! He just wants to know,_ she retorted to her alter ego.

"I have… but they're like dreams, fantasies. They're not real and can't become real."

Sasuke just stared at her, "Maybe then. But now, you have me to help you."

Sakura sighed, taking the time to get a bugging question out of her head, "How do I know you aren't tricking me? If this all isn't fake? If this is just some cruel joke?"

Sasuke grinned, "You asked that last night."

Sakura continued to look at him, "I don't want to be hurt anymore." Her tone had turned firm, her face calm but serious.

Sasuke's teasing expression turned serious. He knew she wasn't lying, she could tell by the force of the irises in Sakura's jade green orbs that were currently staring back at him. The said girl blushed from the hard intensity his eyes were showing.

Then the pink-haired girl heard footsteps approaching. _Creak. Creak. Creak_. The floorboards croaked with every step.

_Oh shit!_ thought the girl. _He's here early_!

Sasuke watched her panic expression, not bothering to ask what was wrong. After all, he already knew. He had strong hearing, an advantage of being a part of the supernatural.

"Sasuke-kun! You need to hide, do something! My dad can't see you! Ugh, I'm not even ready! I'm dead! _Dead_!" she ranted, grabbing strands of her pastel pink hair and pulling it in alarm.

**A/N:**** Edit number two done.**


	3. Part III

**A/N:** **Edit Number Three.**

**Disclaimer:** I dream about owning Naruto someday.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

**Chapter 3 – Observation**

The door busted open revealing the last person Sakura wanted to see, Haruno Tetsuki. Even though Sakura was a good distance away from the man, she could smell the putrid smell of alcohol. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as the reaction towards the foul smell.

_Oh please don't kill me!_ her thoughts pleaded.

_**We can get through this don't worry!**_ Inner Sakura tried to encourage.

"_You_," his gruff voice spat as his sign of acknowledging her.

"Hello… father." Sakura said hesitantly, cringing at the word 'father.' "I made you something to eat. You know, in case you're hungry."

Tetsuki roughly pulled the kitchen chair, the chair legs making a sharp squeaky sound against the floor. He sat down, eyeing his food before devouring it like a mad man. Sakura tried her best to keep a straight face as she watched her disgusting excuse of a father eat the food she had made.

"D-do you like it?" she asked, biting her tongue as she waited for his response. He looked at her roughly, wiping off crumbs around his mouth with his arm in a sloppy manner.

"It tastes horrible." He said in a disgusted tone, "Your own _mother_ could make better food than this shit!" Sakura she saw him pick up her plate of food and hurl it towards the wall, wincing when she heard the glass plate breaking into pieces once it had connected with the wall.

Sasuke stood close by Sakura, unable to be seen by the human eye since he took the form of a demon. He could feel his Sharingan tomoes swirling madly in his crimson blood eyes when he saw how unappreciative the pink-haired girl's father was.

He sneered, _Just like Itachi…_ he gritted his teeth. _Ungrateful bastard._

Sakura unconsciously gulped, deciding to change the subject.

"Tsunade-shihsou says I'm improving in my medical skills," she announced, a small smile to lighten the thick tension in the room.

Testsuki stood up abruptly, walking over to his pink-haired daughter. A glare on his face, he raised his hand and slapped Sakura hard, leaving a black and blue bruise on her cheek.

Sakura closed her eyes from the pain, the sickening sound of his hand coming in contact with her skin ringing in her ears.

"Tsunade's lying," he growled at her. "You're a failure. Nothing more than a failure." He walked over, mumbling, "Couldn't even save your own mother…"

The pink-haired girl felt her heart wrench at his words, salty tears forming at the wells of her emerald orbs. Sasuke felt his blood boil as the very man that made Sakura miserable reminded him of the very person that made his life miserable.

Deciding to help the poor girl out, Sasuke slipped into the shadows. Sakura closed her eyes when she saw her father raising his fist as he readied himself to punch her. The young medic closed her eyes, waiting for the searing pain. But instead, she heard a doorbell and let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Who the fuck is that?" he said accusingly at Sakura, the girl's body tensing in response.

He went to go open the door and when he grabbed the knob, twisted it and pulled the door open.

"Yes?" he said, masking his abusive personality. Sakura peered over her father's large shoulder; curious to see the person who had delayed the pain she was about to receive. Her emerald green eyes widened when she saw a ninja who looked strikingly familiar to Sasuke.

_Same spiky raven hair, cold onyx eyes…_ she thought.

_**And sexiness, don't forget the sexiness,**_ Inner Sakura added mischievously, despite the serious moment they had been in not too long ago.

…_Is that him? _

"The Hokage wishes to see Haruno Sakura," The boy said, moving his onyx eyes to the female girl, his eyes sending her a knowing look.

_It is him!_ she thought, feeling herself smile inwardly.

"Sakura, the Hokage wants to see you," Tetsuki said, relaying the message to Sakura as he motioned for her to come towards the door.

Sakura quickly nodded, walking outside as she followed the disguised Sasuke out the door. She glanced back over her shoulder, her father giving her a suspicious look before closing the door.

_I don't think I'll be going back tonight…_ she thought, biting her lip nervously.

_**Damn right! He's going to beat us like a pulp!**_ her inner self screeched.

The two reached a good distance from Tetsuki's home, walking into an area that was surrounded by trees as the ground was covered by soft green grass. Sasuke took off his disguise, revealing himself in his human form.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun, you saved me!" she said.

Sasuke sent her a knowing look, "It's my jo—" he stopped when Sakura pulled the raven-haired demon in a tight hug. Sasuke grunted from the intimate contact, pulling her arms off from around his neck as Sakura blushed, pointing her emerald gaze towards the floor.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, her hands cupping her cheeks as she faced elsewhere in embarrassment.

Sasuke remained silent, giving her a simple nod as he looked at his surroundings.

"You plan on going back anytime soon?" he asked, "It's getting late."

Sakura gave him a confused look, "I can't go back now! He thinks I'm at a meeting with the Hokage! Besides…" she quieted her voice, muttering, "if I go back I'm as good as dead."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, studying her nervous composure.

"I'll be there to help you when the time comes." He replied to her.

"Not in the middle of the night, Sasuke-kun! Then he'll suspect something and that'll only make it worse!" Her face constricted as fear settled in, absent-mindedly shivering at the thought of what he would probably do it her out of suspicion.

_Damn it, why didn't I think of that?_ Sasuke thought, knowing what she said made clear sense.

"I think I'll just… stay here for the night." She shifted uncomfortably. "I'll just tell him the Hokage needed me overnight or something."

"You're her apprentice?"

Sakura nodded at Sasuke's question, "I help her by doing simple things like looking through the files of criminals or something. Nothing big."

Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow at her before his face changed into a stoic expression. _So, her life isn't as bad when you look at it from a passer by's point of view, but when you look at it through her eyes… its hell on earth._

He sneered, _But not as worse as mine was. _He knew what he thought of was true. _The girl has friends that she could at least rely on, even though they would never understand her pain. The only person I guess that would come close to understanding her pain was Naruto, judging on what she had told him about the blond-haired idiot. But for me, unlike her, I didn't have any… "friends" to help me cope through the hell that son of a bitch Itachi put me through… No one—_

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's voice said, taking Sasuke out of his thoughts.

"Aa," he responded with a grunt, acknowledging the fact that he was listening

Sakura stared at him for a moment, confused by his odd response. She decided to ask him a question that had been bugging her for a while, regardless of her previous thought.

"I don't mean to bug into your personal life… but…" she stopped, pointing her emerald gaze to the floor, her hands fingering themselves together. "…H-how did you… d-die?"

Sasuke's onyx eyes stared hard at her.

_No one's ever asked me that…_ he thought to himself, remembering that everyone he had met in hell just assumed how he died or couldn't care less.

"How did I die?" Sasuke asked, repeating the pink-haired girl's question.

Sakura nodded, pointing her head down feeling regret and awkwardness for asking such a personal question.

"My brother killed me," He told her simply, as though he was commenting about the weather.

Sakura's head snapped towards his direction, surprise etching onto her face at his response.

"Y-Your own brother?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Then Sakura remembered what he had said to her earlier.

-

-

-

"_I'm not going to be watching every little thing you do," Sasuke replied, "because that's just creepy. I'm just going to see what's miserable in your life."_

_Sakura moved her emerald green gaze towards the floor, "Everything in my life is miserable. I have the worst life ever…" She trailed off._

_Sasuke clenched his teeth, grounding his molars against one another. "You don't have the worst life."_

_Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do!"_

_Sasuke stopped walking as his raven bangs covered his dark onyx orbs. The sight made Sakura's body shake lightly in fear. He looked so ominous, and very threatening, and her being in his arms made her vulnerable, especially with a broken ankle._

"_You don't have the worse life," He repeated in an icy tone. "You've never had your whole family killed in front of your eyes for no particular reason at all. You've never had a bastard brother who killed them just to see you live through hell. You've never lived in isolation and stay up every single fucking night to keep your guard up in case the bastard ever came back to murder you. Don't you dare think you have the worst life."_

_A weak gasp escaped the pink-haired girl._

_Instantly, her emerald orbs filled with remorse. "Is that what happened to you… Sasuke?" She whispered, absent-mindedly stroking the side of his pale face with the back of her left hand. Sasuke muttered incomprehensible words before going back to his cool façade._

"_Forget I said that," he muttered, placing her down in the front of her house._

-

-

-

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," she whispered. "You must've felt really hurt… betrayed…" The raven-haired demon remained silent, his eyes deep in thought for a few seconds.

"Imagine how I felt when I was only seven and he killed my whole clan…" he muttered to himself silently, a bitter laugh escaping his throat.

_Sakura instantly felt regret for the person in front of her. I've been complaining to him and everything…_ she thought to herself, _and he could've, no, he _did _have it way worse than me…_

"Sorry…" Sakura apologized again.

_This girl apologizes too much…_ Sasuke mentally noted.

"You don't need to apologize," he retorted to her constant apologies.

Her emerald eyes saddened slightly. _I want to go give him a hug…_

_**You aren't the only one! **_

_But the last time I did he just pushed me away…_

Inner Sakura sighed, shaking her head to the side. _**It's because we can't fall in love with him…dammit that sucks! How can you not love him?! He's like God's-Gift-To-Women with those sexy looks of his!**_

Sakura shook her head roughly, trying to get her alter ego's thoughts out of her head.

Sasuke's mouth opened, an almost inaudible sigh escaping his lips.

"If you're planning to stay here for the night, you should start resting now," the raven-haired demon said. Sakura's body shivered, her mind just realizing how cold it really was outside. She walked over to a tree, sitting down on the soft grass below her as her back rested on the trunk of the tree.

_She does this like she's done it so many times before,_ he silently noted, not bothering to move his body to make a comfortable position. He was a demon after all; the supernatural beings didn't need much rest. Sasuke noticed Sakura's eyes still open, staring blankly at the green grass, her face expression deep in thought.

"Sakura," He said, startling the pink-haired girl slightly as she moved her head towards his direction. "You can close your eyes."

Sakura giggled quietly, nodding her head as she relaxed her body. She closed her emerald green eyes, taking a deep breath before exhaling it.

"I'll be here to protect you." She heard the demon whisper faintly before soon drifting off into a slumber.

* * *

**A/N:**** End of edit number three!**


	4. Part IV

**A/N:**** Hope this chapter makes up for the last.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku.

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Help**

A few hours later, brilliant jade eyes fluttered open.

Sakura blinked a couple of times, her blurry vision becoming clear as she gazed at her surroundings. She noticed that she was inside a house sleeping on a… bed? She sat up, blood rushing to her head, causing her head to throb slightly.

_W-What? Where… am I…?_ she looked around nervously before recognizing the surroundings. _Wait a second… I'm at—_

"Hey, Sakura-chan, you're finally awake!" came the distinct loud voice of Uzumaki Naruto.

"Naruto?" she murmured, glancing at his deep cerulean pupils. She then saw his expression turn from cheery to serious. "Something wrong?"

He gazed at her for a few seconds before shaking his head slowly side to side. The pink-haired girl cocked her head to the side as Naruto lifted his face, eyes locking back on her face.

"Your cheek… did that bastard hurt you?"

Sakura put a hand on her cheek, wincing when she felt the bruise there. "Don't worry about it, it was nothing…" Seeing his disapproval gaze, she shrugged him off prior to starting with another question. "Err… what am I doing here?"

"Oh, I found you last night sleeping when I was taking a 'nightly stroll.' You scared me there! For a second, I thought you were dead!" Naruto exclaimed, having walked up to her, tightly grasping her shoulders. "What were you doing out there?! You could've come to me you know!"

_Oh yeah…I could've come to Naruto's…_ Sakura thought, mentally scolding herself for not thinking of that.

"I… just didn't want to wake you up." She lied lamely, her face lowering as pink tresses covered her expression.

"Sakura-chan…" he lowered his voice, his eyes saddening. "I hate seeing you like this. Why don't you just leave your dad and come stay with me? You know I wouldn't mind…"

Sakura shook her head at his offer, "I don't want to be a burden to you, Naruto."

_I don't want you hurt if he comes after you for helping me…_ she mentally added.

The blond-haired teen kept his cerulean gaze on her, his hands tightening their grip slightly on her shoulders. "Sakura-chan, come on. You know that he couldn't do anything to you if you didn't live with him!"

The pink-haired girl nodded, "I know, Naruto… but I'm not going to cower from him and hide." Her emerald eyes flashed, "I'm not a weak little girl anymore."

Naruto wasn't pleased at her answer, "Of course you aren't weak! But that's not the point, Sakura-chan… I'm tired of seeing you hurt and just sitting there and not doing anything!"

Sakura smiled, "Thank you, Naruto… but it's fine. Really. Don't worry about me." She climbed out of the bed she had been resting on and stood on her feet. "Thanks again, you know, for taking me in. I'll be going now, you-know-who's going to be wondering where I was."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest but Sakura held her hand up to silence him. She smiled at him as a sign of her appreciation before leaving her best friend's abode.

She roamed the streets of Konohagakure silently, using the free time she had to stall herself from going to back to her father's house. People glanced at oddly when they saw the wound on her cheek. Some asked about it, but Sakura shook her head and made up a lame excuse. She shook it off when people continued to gaze at her worriedly, giving them a fake smile to calm their worries.

"Hey, forehead girl!" Sakura heard Ino's voice call out.

Sakura glanced at her best friend, a smile forming it's way on her face. "Hey, Ino-pig," she joked teasingly.

The said blonde frowned as she drew closer as Sakura, piercing ice blue eyes gazed upon the girl's face. "Sakura… did _he_ do that to you?" she asked, pointing to her bruised cheek with her index finger.

Sakura put a hand to cover her cheek. _I need to go home and take care of this bruise,_ she thought to herself, tired of people asking her the same question.

"No, Ino… I just was careless, that's all."

Sky colored pupils looked at her sorrowfully. "I'm tired of seeing you hurt—"

Sakura let out a bitter laugh, cutting her off. "You too, eh? Naruto told me the same thing earlier."

The young Yamanaka looked at her questioningly, "You stayed with him?"

The carnation-haired girl shook her head, "I… went out of the house to take a breath of fresh air. I fell asleep and Naruto found me and took me to his house. I just left a while ago."

"In other words, Tetsuki got drunk and you left not wanting to get an unnecessary beating and have to make up excuses for it. Then you fell asleep and Naruto took you in," Ino corrected, knowing what Sakura had really meant.

"You can just read me like a book, huh, Ino-pig?" the latter replied, giving her friend a fake smile.

Ino frowned, "Sakura, I don't want you going back there."

"Look, I told my dad I had a meeting with the Hokage. He expects me back, if I'm not, he'll come looking for me and that'll only provoke him to beat hard… well, harder."

_And I really don't want that…_ she thought to herself.

_**You know, Naruto and Ino-pig make tons of sense. Just stay with one of them, you know they won't mind!**_ Inner Sakura cut in.

_You know why I can't do that…_ Sakura retorted to her alter ego.

"Then I'm going back with you." Her tone was laced with stubbornness, folding her arms over her chest. "That way, you'll be safe," she added. "You can just explain that you met me on the way back, no big deal."

Sakura shook her head, "I don't want to be a burden. Really, it's f—"

"Don't even try and talk me out of it. I'm coming, and that's that." She cut her off, determined not to change her answer.

Sakura shrugged, knowing that there was no point to argue with the blonde-haired girl, especially since she could be really stubborn. The two girls walked back to Tetsuki's house silently side by side, both not knowing what to say to each other.

When they reached the door, Sakura bit her lip in a nervous manner as she raised her fist, knocking gently against the wood. The door opened almost a second later, like the person behind it was waiting for the knock, and Tetsuki's form came into view.

"Sakura, what took you so long?" he asked suspiciously, changing his tone when he saw Ino beside her. "You had me worried," he added with feign worry in a convincing manner.

Ino mentally rolled her eyes. Sure, to someone who didn't know Haruno Tetsuki was abusive, they would've thought that he was just a worried parent, but the Yamanaka girl knew better.

"Hokage-sama needed her at the office overnight and when she left she and I crossed paths. I decided to tag along with her, do you mind, Haruno-san?"

"No, of course not, come on in," he replied simply, stepping aside to let the two girls inside.

Ino shook her head, not moving an inch. "Actually, Haruno-san, Tsunade-sama needs Sakura back and I'm going with her to assist. We were just stopping by to let you know that."

Sakura nodded, silently making note to thank Ino later. After all, she knew it was a lie.

Tetsuki glanced at his daughter with an ominous look before nodding. "You should get going then," the male Haruno said. Just as the pair was about to turn their backs, he added, "Oh, Sakura?" Said girl turned upon hearing her name. "I need to speak with you for a moment." Seeing Ino follow her, Tetsuki added, "Alone, if you don't mind, Ino."

The girl halted her steps as Sakura sent Ino a worried look before glancing back at her father. "O-Okay," she meekly replied.

Ino bit her lip, worried for her best friend. _Please, don't come out hurt, Sakura…_ she pleaded in her mind.

Tetsuki pulled Sakura aside, making sure they were out of Ino's view. He pulled her inside the house, closing the door so they could have their "privacy." Once he did so, the man scowled at her.

"Don't think you're getting away so easily," he growled in a threatening tone. "When you come back, you're going to tell me why you left the house last night, _understand_?" Upon the last word he gripped her arm in a manner so tight Sakura could feel her blood flow discontinue.

She helplessly whimpered quietly, nodding her head rapidly. He shoved her roughly into the wall behind her as the pink-haired girl felt a bruise forming at her back.

Ino, having heard the noise, burst inside. "What's going on?" she instantly questioned, absent-mindedly glaring at Mr. Haruno.

"Sakura!" he exclaimed, covering up his abusive act. "You should be more careful next time, you could seriously hurt yourself."

Sakura groaned from the searing pain in her back, "Yeah, sorry," she mumbled, following Ino out the door while rubbing her back to ease the pain. When she and the blonde were out of her father's view, the latter glowered heavily.

"He hurt you again, didn't he!"

Sakura heard the serious hatred etched deep Ino's voice. "Stop worrying, will you! I'm fine! It's just a bruise!"

"That's what you say everyday!" the blonde-haired beauty was beginning to get frustrated. "I'm going to tell someone, Sakura, I'm sick of this!"

Upon hearing the words, the abused victim clamped her hand over Ino's mouth, harshly whispering to her, "If you really care for me, you won't say anything, understand?"

Ino's icy look saddened, pulling Sakura's hand off her mouth, not speaking another word.

Then, realization dawned the blossom-haired girl. _Where's Sasuke? _

Inner Sakura rolled her eyes, _**Oh, **_**now**_** you notice!**_

Sakura glanced around in search for the raven-haired demon, ignoring Ino's confused expression. "Where is he…?" she murmured, not realizing she had said it out loud.

Her companion, hearing this, gave her an even more baffled look. "Where is who? Your father? Don't worry, Sakura, he's not following you, you're just being paranoid."

"What?" Sakura said, glancing at Ino before realizing what she had said out loud by accident, "Oh yeah, you're probably right." She gave her a fake smile before continuing looking for Sasuke.

_Maybe he left,_ she concluded. _…But, why would he?_

Inner Sakura sighed, _**Wow, look at you! You've gotten really attached to him, haven't you? You're pretty clingy to him. If he left, it's not that surprising. I mean seriously, did you honestly believe that we ever had a chance to get out of the hell we live in? I'm even smarter than that!**_

_But, weren't _you _the one who told me to trust him? To give him a chance?_

_**I didn't think you'd actually listen! Since when do you listen to me, anyway?**_

_I was 'clingy' to him… damn it, I'm not a burden to anyone! _

"Forehead girl? Hello?" approached Yamanaka's voice, snapping her fingers in front of the pink-haired girl's face.

Sakura blinked her apple green orbs for a few seconds, bringing her out of her thoughts. "H-Huh? Ino? What is it?"

Said friend looked at her curiously, blinking her eyes. "What were you thinking about?"

The Haruno lass shook her head, "That's not important. Were you saying something? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

Ino shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I was just saying that you should check up on Tsunade-sama to see if she really does need you to do anything."

Sakura gave her friend another pretend smile, "Yeah, you're right. Now that I think about it, Ino… thanks, for helping me back there with my bastard dad."

Her comrade gave her a breathtaking smile. "It was nothing."

A silence dawned the two as they made their way towards the Hokage Mansion.

_If I could survive this long with my dad…_ she thought, _and still be able to deal with it…_ She pursed her lips silently as she continued her thoughts.

_Maybe… I don't need Sasuke, after all…_


	5. Part V

**A/N: I've had tests all this week, so this update was a bit delayed, sorry about that. But here it is.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. But I do own this story.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Useless**

After spending a few hours with Ino, Sakura took her time as she headed back to Testuki's house.

"Sakura!" Shizune's voice said, stopping in front of her and panting.

"Shizune-sempai? Is something wrong?"

Shizune stood upright when she caught her breath, giving the pink-haired girl a warm smile. "Oh, Sakura-san. Tsunade-sama just wanted me to give this to you. It's a small task she would like completed."

Sakura nodded and Shizune gave her another smile before taking her leave. Sakura opened the document the black-haired woman had given her, reading over its contents. It had read:

_Sakura—_

_I need you to go get some medical ingredients that you can find in a forest not too far from here. The forest if full of medicinal herbs, take as much as you can carry and bring them back to my office._

_Godaime-sama._

Sakura smiled, _At least this will give me time before I have to go back to the house. _Coincidentally with her thought, she rubbed her back over the bruise where her father had shoved her. She winced from the contact as she made her way towards the forest Tsunade had told her to go to.

"Oh, did Sakura get hurt in my absence?"

The words hung in the air, coming from a familiar smooth voice. Sakura looked at her surroundings—all she saw were the bright verdant leaves attached to branches with bark of trees. She shook her head, deciding it was just her imagination as she resumed her task of picking remedial aromatic plants.

"It's rude to ignore someone, _Sa-ku-ra_."

The carnation-haired girl nearly jumped as her head flew upwards, emerald eyes trailing up the body of Sasuke's who suddenly was in front of her, his arms over his well-formed chest.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" she squeaked out of being startled. "What're you doing here? And what do you mean 'absence'? Where were you?"

The raven-haired demon chuckled. "My, my, so many questions."

Sakura took a deep breath to slow her rising heartbeat. "Where were you?" she questioned calmly, slowly resuming to her preceding mission.

"I… had business to take care of," he answered coolly, simply.

-

-

-

"_Sakura," He said, startling the pink-haired girl slightly as she moved her head towards his direction. "You can close your eyes."_

_Sakura giggled quietly, nodding her head as she relaxed her body. She closed her emerald green eyes, taking a deep breath before exhaling it._

"_I'll be here to protect you." She heard the demon whisper faintly before soon drifting off into a slumber._

_He sighed as he watched her calm composure. Slowly, he turned from his human form to his demon form then disappeared, reappearing in the depths of hell. _

"_What do you want?" he hissed at his "callers." _

_Ten men stood in front of Sasuke, all in a horizontal line. They all dawned black cloaks with red clouds on them as hoods covered their faces, concealing their identities. Sasuke continued his previous comment upon hearing no response._

"_Akatsuki, I thought we had a deal. No interruptions while I help this girl."_

"_Now, now, foolish little brother, is that really how you treat your superiors?" Sasuke's older brother, Uchiha Itachi, spoke, cool and collected with his impassive features. _

"_Shut the fuck up, Itachi," Sasuke snarled at him before directing his attention to the rest of the men. "What do you want from me?" _

_Akatsuki's leader, Pein, who was in the middle of the ten men, spoke up first. "Uchiha Sasuke, you've been given a chance to enter heaven again."_

"_What of it?" Sasuke asked, irritation in his tone. _

"_Respect your superior, Uchiha," Kisame spat in a degrading manner, glaring upon the young Uchiha. _

_Pein merely stared blankly upon the demon before him. "They've given you an interesting proposition," he continued as he though nothing else had happened previously. _

_Sasuke raised a curious eyebrow, "And what is it?"_

"_If you do complete your task in helping this girl's life, they won't allow you in Heaven." _

_Sasuke felt his blood boil, feeling as though Heaven had deceived him—a place as holy as Heaven, no less!_

_He was about to retort to the comment before the leader prolonged, "Instead, you'll be given a second chance at life. You'll go back to the living world at the age you died at." The man chuckled, "Coincidence, isn't it? If you complete your task, when you return to the world of the living you'll only be a year older than the girl you are helping."_

_Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "And if I fail?"_

"_Meaning if the girl finds help elsewhere," Pein interpreted monotonously, arms folding as his hands laced their fingers together in front of his face. "The consequences stay the same, Uchiha." _

_A pair of onyx eyes lowered, giving a faint nod in response. He was then sent back to Earth in the location where Sakura was to be found in his human form, as to not arouse suspicion._

_Apparently, he noted, the meeting had been longer than it seemed._

-

-

-

"Business?" Sakura interrogated as she picked medicinal herbs. "What kind?"

Sasuke grunted, "None of your concern." The blossom-haired girl gave him a confused expression from his answer as she picked up more medicines.

"Sakura, take off your shirt."

Said girl jumped, looking up at him startled, a warm blush on her cheeks, "Wh-_What_?"

Sasuke sighed, "Let me heal that bruise on your back."

Sakura's blush darkened. _That was stupid,_ she told herself. _Thinking that he was talking about something dirty…_

**You**_** were thinking of it, not him,**_ her alter ego said, chuckling mischievously.

"Well? Take it off."

Even more blood pooled to the girl's cheeks. "Um… Sasuke… maybe I could just lift it up?"

The Uchiha shrugged and the young woman smiled despite the fact that her cheeks were still colored crimson. She turned around, lifting her shirt up only to the point where Sasuke could see her bruise. The raven-haired demon narrowed his eyes at the bruise, seeing that was a mix of blue and purple.

"Hold still," he commanded lightly.

Sakura complied, doing as she was told. He pressed his cool hand against her bruise, making her body stiffen at the intimate contact and at the pain. Sakura felt the pain growing smaller and smaller until she couldn't feel it anymore, emerald eyes growing somewhat of his power to heal her injury so quickly.

"Done," he informed nonchalantly, smirking when she saw her turn around with reddened cheeks that could rival that of a tomato's.

"Ah, thank you," she mumbled before pointing her emerald green gaze to the floor.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura began, her voice almost inaudible. The raven-haired demon looked at her when he heard her call his name as he waited for her to continue. "…I have something I want to tell you…"

Sasuke raised a thin eyebrow. "Say it, then."

Sakura bit her lip out of a nervous habit she began to find she always did.

"…I…" she began, licking her suddenly dry lips. "If… you came here to help me, and I really didn't need you…"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he began to conclude where she was getting at. "You don't need me?"

Sakura tensely fiddled with her fingers, giving him a hint of a nod.

"Are you telling me, Sakura," he spoke evenly, matching Sakura's steps as h stepped forward, causing the girl to step backwards, "…that you don't need me?"

Sakura gulped down the lump in her throat, feeling her nerves get the better of her. "D-Don't take it the wr-wrong way, Sasuke-kun." She mentally cursed her stuttering.

Sasuke folded his arms in front of his chest, "How should I be taking it, then?"

Sakura looked up at him, "What?"

He continued to match her steps until he backed the pink-haired girl into a tree. "You have an abusive dad that no one sees abuse you, and if you were to tell people that he did, not only would they not believe you but your father would come after you and take care of the threat he had given you. Does that sound like someone who doesn't need help?"

"Sasuke-kun, I've dealt with it for so long… who says I can't continue to? I'm seventeen, one more year and I don't have to deal—"

Sasuke placed one of his hands against the tree's bark beside Sakura's head, the action causing the girl to pause in her statement.

"You want to live a life where you cower for the reason of your father?"

Sakura bit her lip, pointing her verdant gaze elsewhere. Sasuke bore his onyx orbs into hers before shaking his head.

"You can send me away, Sakura, I don't really give a damn. I'd just go back to hell." Obsidian pupils blinked as eyelids rose half-lidded. "If I had been offered this chance, I would've taken every advantage of it."

Sakura shook her head, eyes locking straight with his. "But you don't understand it! What you went through is different from what I'm going through—"

"It makes no difference. I lived a useless life and just threw it away because I went after something I achieved but later died from." He scoffed from his statement but pushed the meaning behind it to the back of his mind. He and his personal life were not the main priority, the carnation-haired girl in front of him was. "I'm not here to lecture you," he continued, "so make up your mind. Do you need me, or not?"

_**Shannaro! Does he have to give us a hard choice?!**_

_It's not that hard—_

_**Hah, as if!**_

"How to you expect me to answer that with everything you've just told me?" she unconsciously blurted out, her face turning to the side slightly as she didn't bother to take back her words.

Sasuke sighed, placing his other hand beside the other side of the girl's head.

"Make up your mind."

It was a simple statement, and yet, an order. Sakura bit her lip again, pointing her gaze against the floor.

After a few minutes, she inhaled a deep breath of air before exhaling it.

"Come to a decision now?" Sasuke asked her, his onyx eyes looking directly at her jade pupils.

"…Yeah," she answered him. "Sasuke-kun…" She shyly looked up at his eyes, feeling herself flush from the intensity of his stare. "Please don't look at me like that."

"Answer the question, Sakura," he ground out to her, ignoring her plea. "Do you, or do you not, need me?"

The blossom-haired girl closed her eyes briefly before opening them and looking directly in Sasuke's dark onyx orbs. She parted her mouth slowly and whispered, "I…" She stopped for the moment, clearing her voice.

"I don't need you."


	6. Part VI

**A/N: Next update, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku.

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Realization**

Upon hearing the answer, the first thing that came out of the Uchiha's mouth was a sigh.

Sakura took a deep breath through her nostrils, deciding to repeat herself.

"Did you hear me? I don't need you."

She felt knots churn in her stomach from her words. _I feel like I'm making a mistake—_

_**I think it's just a "sixth sense." Just ignore it**_, Inner Sakura advised.

"You sure about that, Sakura?" the demon questioned in a dead calm tone. "Once you send me away, don't guarantee that I'll be back when you call for me."

His voice caused the girl to gulp unconsciously, nodding her head. "I—I'm sure."

_I think,_ She added mentally.

Ebony orbs blinked. "Fine, then."

With that, the raven-haired demon disappeared before Sakura's sea green eyes.

_That's it? _she concluded, perplexed. _Just that?_ The pink-haired girl took a deep breath. _I feel like I'm hyperventilating or something…_ she thought to herself, making her way out of the forest and heading towards the Hokage's Mansion.

She cautiously walked there, noticing the sky getting dimmer with each passing minute as the sun began to set.

_It's dark already?_ she asked mentally. She quickly entered the mansion, taking her time as she headed towards the blonde-haired woman's office.

When she was there, the lightly knocked on the door with her fist, the medicinal herbs she was told to gather in her other hand neatly arranged inside a basket that hung on her arm.

"Come in," Tsunade's voice called out. Sakura noticed her voice sounded exhausted and weary.

"Hello, Tsunade-shihsou," the girl greeted, giving her a bow of respect.

Tsunade looked at her apprentice. "Oh, Sakura. What can I do for you?"

The blossom-haired girl walked up to her mahogany desk, placing the basket of medicinal herbs beside it. "I just came here to drop off the task you sent me to do."

Tsunade peered over at the item Sakura had dropped from her grasp, a tired, thankful smile on her young-looking face. "Ah, thank you, Sakura," the corner of her lip quirked faintly. "It's much appreciated."

Said girl gave her mentor a warm smile, "Of course, Tsunade-shishou. Anytime."

Sakura turned to make her leave, quickly brushing herself off. "Sakura?" Tsunade spoke before she began walking as she made her depart.

The pink-haired girl turned around, a fake smile on her face. "Yes?"

Tsunade frowned, "Sakura, has something been going on with you lately?"

Said girl raised a confused eyebrow. "No, why would you ask that Tsunade-shishou?"

Sakura mentally kicked herself for lying. _**You need to tell someone sometime! **_ Inner Sakura exclaimed.

_I'm not going to put them in danger like that! _

_**She's the Godaime Hokage! She overpowers him!**_ Sakura decided not to respond to her inner self's comment.

"Sakura, you're lying, aren't you? It's written all over your face." Upon her statement, she folded her hands in front of her unsatisfied face.

"Tsunade-shishou, I assure you, nothing's going on. I've just been stressful these past few days, nothing to worry about." Sakura flashed her a cheery feign smile to prove the sincerity in her testimony.

The blonde-haired woman eyed her warily. "All right then, you may leave."

Sakura gave her one last bow of respect before taking her leave. She walked outside on the lonely streets of Konohagakure, feeling uneasy at the black darkness that surrounded her.

The blossom-haired girl mentally fought with herself, debating on whether or not to return to her abusive father's, Haruno Tetsuki, home of torture.

_The more I delay going back, the more badly I'll be hit._

_**I don't think that's the right choice anyway.**_

_There's nothing we can do._

_**Yes, there **_**was**_**. But YOU sent him away!**_

Sakura took a deep breath, bracing herself. _Here I go…_ she thought to herself, pounding on the front door of her father's home. It was then the girl realized that her home was quite a distance from other homes in Konoha. She immediately figured out why—her father did that intentionally so that no one would hear her cries at night for help out of the hellhole.

Tetsuki came out, the pungent smell of alcohol fresh in his breath. "Sakura!" he screamed, slurring the "s" in her name. "Where the fuck were you?!" He yanked her by the collar of her shirt, dragging her inside and throwing her on the ground.

"People have been asking me questions, Sakura," he garbled. "Questions you and I 'agreed' on that no one would ask. Have you been telling people, Sakura? _Huh?!_"

Sakura meekly got up, shaking her head and inaudibly saying, "No."

"Liar!" her father yelled, picking her up again and throwing her against the wall. His daughter openly winced from the pain.

_**See?! You think you made a good choice sending Sasuke away?! her alter ego scolded. Look at yourself! You can't even stand up for yourself!**_

"I'm not lying!" Sakura yelled back.

This only angered her father more, making him drag his large body towards her, yanking her up by her pastel pink hair.

"You expect me to believe you, you lying selfish brat?!" he snarled angrily. "You expect me to believe someone who couldn't even save my wife?!"

Sakura felt fresh tears well up in the back of her eyes. "Stop bringing Mom into this! It wasn't my fault she—"

Tetsuki flashed his eyes dangerously in her direction. "It's all your fault! My beloved wife suffered at your hands!" He landed a hard punch square on her cheekbone as Sakura felt it snap from the massive strength.

_I'm dead for standing up to him…_ Sakura mentally told herself.

_**This wouldn't be happening if Sasuke were here,**_ Inner Sakura stated. _**Now do you see my point?**_

Her outer self refused to listen, _You heard him! Once he's gone, he's not going to come back!_

The blossom-haired girl scrambled to her feet, heading straight towards her room as fast as she could whilst her blurry vision had begun to confuse her. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough. Her father took long strides, picking her up again as he drank down a full bottle of alcohol in the process.

Sakura struggled against his grip, her small hands squeezing there hardest on his wrists. He sneered at her attempts, leaning her head forward and banging it back against the wall multiple times. The young woman felt her head throb as if someone had hit her with a hammer.

He dropped her, kicking her hard in the stomach as Sakura leaned forward from the pain. She got to her feet, running as fast as her legs would take her towards her room, shutting it behind her as her father's angry abusive screams followed her trail.

She locked her room as furious poundings on the wooden door were made. Sakura pulled her body under her bed, curling herself in a tight ball as she tried to get rid of the burning pain from her wounds that she was feeling.

_Damn it…! _she cursed. _How the hell am I supposed to explain_ these_?!_

The poundings became louder and louder as Sakura felt the hinges on her door beginning to break. Silently she prayed that he wouldn't break her door, it was her only shield from him that she had.

Luckily, faith was on her side that night.

The poundings ceased and Sakura heard her father drag his feet across the floor. _Probably getting more beer…_ she thought, grimacing at the thought. Eyelids drooped over sea green eyes, feeling drowsiness from the past events.

_I shouldn't have sent Sasuke-kun away…_ she thought, her body tensing when she heard the front door open and slam shut. _"Daddy" is gone…_ she added mentally, feeling relief flow throughout her whole injured body.

She got out from under her bed, looking at her mangled form in the broken reflection of her mirror.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered quietly to herself, letting her tears fall freely from her eyes. She put her hands to her face, quiet sobs escaping her throat.

Feeling someone else's presence in the room, Sakura whipped around, looking at the very person she wasn't to see most. Tears flowed from her eyes still, but this time from relief.

"Miss me?" a memorable velvety voice said.


	7. Part VII

**A/N:**** I'm sure you're all anxious to read what happens next, so go ahead.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku.

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Return**

"Miss me?" the familiar smooth voice said.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat when she realized who it was and smiled kindly.

"Naruto, don't do that, you practically scared me half to death."

The said blonde laughed, his voice not so smooth anymore. "Ah, sorry about that, Sakura-chan! I just wanted to see who you'd think it was if I changed my voice."

_Well, it worked, _she thought to herself idly. _I thought it was Sasuke-kun. _

_**Amazing how close his voice sounded though and he's never even met the guy!**_

"Sakura-chan? You okay?"

Upon hearing her friend's voice, the said girl flashed him a fake smile, "Yeah, Naruto, don't worry about me."

Naruto frowned, "He did it again, didn't he?"

Sakura looked at him curiously, "What're you talking about—?"

Naruto frowned deeper and she knew his eyes were scanning over her fresh bruises. "I saw him leave, I thought he didn't do anything so I came in… and you're—"

Sakura held a hand over one of her many bruises. "Well, don't worry. I'm fine, this is nothing."

Naruto gripped her shoulders tightly, loosening his grip when he saw her wince in pain, "You're _not_ fine, Sakura-chan!" her companion whined. "Come on, I'm going to take you to Hinata-chan so she can bandage you up."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest but before she could do so Naruto picked her up and hauled her over his shoulder, jumping out the small window of her bedroom and sprinting to Konoha.

Almost instantly the two were in front of the Hyuuga Estate as they saw Hinata walking inside the entrance.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto called out to the dark-haired damsel.

The said girl looked at the place where she heard her named called, a faint blush on her cheeks when she saw it was her childhood crush. "N-Naruto-kun!" the Hyuuga stumbled out of her startled state, getting confused when she saw him running towards her, "What's wr—?"

"Take care of Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan!" the blonde exclaimed, putting the wounded girl down from his shoulder and pushing her in Hinata's care.

Hyuuga's pearly white eyes widened, "Sakura-chan, what happened?" She gasped at the sight of all of her bruises. "I didn't know your father—"

"He's not my father," Sakura cut off quietly.

Sadness plagued in the shy girl's pupils and she ran inside the Hyuuga Estate, quickly getting medicine and bandages with gauze. Hinata, learning about medical things as well as Sakura, quickly took care of the latter's bruises.

"Do you feel better now?" Hinata asked in a quiet voice.

Sakura gave her a genuine smile, "Yeah, thank you, Hinata-chan."

Naruto hugged Hinata tightly, "Thank you, Hinata-chan! You helped save Sakura-chan!"

Sakura laughed quietly, "I wasn't dying Naruto." Hinata's face was burning when she felt Naruto's strong arms tightly around her. "Naruto, let Hinata-chan go, you're choking her."

Instantaneously the boy let go of the blushing Hyuuga, smiling sheepishly as he rubbed one of his hands behind his head with a small blush on his cheeks. "Heh, sorry about that Hinata-chan."

Hinata nodded quickly, her face still as red as a tomato. Sakura looked down at the bandages wrapped on her bruises.

_**You know,**_ her inner self chimed in, _**Sasuke-kun could've easily taken care of this. **_

_He's gone, remember? Stop bringing him up! We don't need him!_

"Sakura-chan? Hello?" Naruto waved a hand in front of the pink-haired girl's face.

"Naruto, quit doing that! A girl needs to think sometimes you know!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her change in mood, raising his hands in fronr of him in his defense. "Okay, okay, sorry, Sakura-chan! It's just… you were more like spacing out because you were muttering something about a guy named 'Sasuke-kun.'" His face twisted at the affectionate suffix attached to the boy's name while Sakura flushed out of embarrassment for him having heard her.

Naruto narrowed his cerulean blue eyes, "Who the hell is Sasuke, anyway? Someone I should know about?" Hinata looked down sadly when she heard the jealousy in Naruto's voice. Sakura, noticing the Hyuuga's face fall, glared at the blonde.

"No, Naruto. Sasuke-kun's no one, I don't even know where you got that name from, I didn't mutter it—"

"Ano, Sakura-chan… you were…" Hinata piped in softly.

Naruto nodded eagerly. "See? Hinata-chan agrees with me! That proves it wasn't my imagination. Who. Is. Sasuke?" he demanded.

Sakura frowned at Hinata and the Hyuuga avoided her gaze. "He's just someone I met a while ago," the blossom-haired girl briefly answered rapidly.

"What'd you say?" Naruto said, leaning closer to catch what she had spoken. "You said that way too fast."

The girl took a deep breath and let out a unfathomable sigh. "He's someone I met a few days ago," she repeated in a slower pace. "There, I told you. Now can we please change the sub—"

"A few _days_ ago? What the hell?! And you didn't show him to me!" Naruto yelled before his face became eerily serious, his voice turning dead calm, yet threatening. "Wait a second… that _teme_ wasn't the one who did this to you, was he?"

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun would never do that to me!" Sakura immediately answered, thinking the idea to be preposterous.

"Sakura-chan… if you met Sasuke-san a few days ago… why don't you introduce him?" inquired the quiet young woman, fingers pressing together in a tense fashion.

Naruto nodded, putting his arm around Hinata and pushing her to him, "Hinata-chan's right!" The said girl blushed darkly at the comment.

_Why, today of all days, does Hinata-chan have to make so much good points?_

_**Maybe we're being punished for something today. Hmm, I wonder what we did wrong… **_

"I can't. He's gone, Naruto. He left earlier today."

Naruto puckered his brows suspiciously, "Oh _really_?"

Sakura glared at his response, "You think I'm lying?"

"Well, you did get some bruises on your head. Maybe you had a concussion and it knocked some sense out of you?"

The blossom-haired girl punched Naruto hard on the head, "Idiot, my 'sense' is just fine!"

The blonde crossed his arms grumpily. "Che, then where is this Sasuke-teme?"

Sakura punched him again, "Don't call him that!" She then lifted her fist to punch her again before stopping her fist in midair.

_Why am I defending him, anyway? It's not like he's really here… _Sakura pondered. _Or that he's ever going to be here… again…_ Her mood saddened to some extent at the thought.

Her mood didn't go unnoticed by Hinata. "Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"

Said girl shook her head, "It's nothing. I need to go back home before my 'father' catches me." She gave the Hyuuga a grateful smile. "Thanks for the bandages, Hinata-chan."

The mentioned damsel nodded, "Of course."

Naruto watched Sakura beginning to leave before he called out, "Wait, Sakura-chan! I'm walking you home to protect you."

Sakura wobbled her head, "I'm fine, Naruto—"

The blonde shook his head roughly in response to her protest. "No way! There are crazy people out there, Sakura-chan! I'm going to protect you." He turned to Hinata and flashed her a foxy grin as he gave her a tight hug, "Thanks a bunch, Hinata-chan. See ya later!"

The dark-haired girl blushed before he let her go, giving the hyperactive boy a small smile in return.

Sakura heaved a sigh as Naruto was soon beside her, the two walking side-by-side towards Tetsuki's house.

"Are you going to tell me who Sasuke-teme is now?"

Sakura glared at him, "Stop calling him that."

Naruto shrugged, "What for? It's not like he's around here to hear me."

"Yeah, I guess that's true…"

Naruto gave Sakura a side-glance, "Ne, Sakura-chan, why did he leave in the first place?"

Sakura looked at her friend, "Naruto, Sasuke-kun's—" She paused, deciding whether or not to explain it to him or not.

_Naruto is like a brother to me... I should tell him then, right?_

_**Seems logical.**_

The blonde-haired boy waited patiently for her to continue as Sakura came to terms that she had no choice, the demon's name was already imprinted in the boy's skull.

She took a deep breath and continued, "Sasuke-kun's… not technically _real_, in a way."

Naruto looked at her with a perplexed expression, "What? What do you mean 'not technically real'?"

"It's kind of hard to explain, honestly…" Sakura admitted, a small laugh escaping her throat.

"Take as long as you want, Sakura-chan. I'm not leaving till you tell me everything," spoke Naruto stubbornly, arms folding crossly over his chest.

Sakura giggled at his immature personality, "Thanks, Naruto."

Spoken teenager looked at her, confused. "What for?"

The blossom-haired girl smiled kindly at him, "For always being there when I need you."

Naruto grinned upon the kind words. "That's what I'm here for!" Sakura nodded and continued walking to her house.

Uzumaki cleared his throat, causing his companion to avert her verdant gaze from the floor to his face with a questioning look. "What is it?" Sakura asked.

Naruto frowned, "You need to tell me who Sasuke is, remember? You said something about him not being real or something…"

She laughed faintly uneasily, hoping she had gotten passed the subject. But as she suspected, Naruto would not let it go.

"Right… well, I'll put it in terms you can understand—"

* * *

**A/N: Just felt like stopping it there because I didn't want to write the whole explanation in this chapter. Read and review.**


	8. Part VIII

**A/N****: Took a little while to update, sorry about that, hope you enjoy the chapter anyway!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Confession**

"Okay, how do I put this…" Sakura began, cerulean orbs watching her intently.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined. "Quit stalling and just tell me!"

It had been half an hour since Sakura had told her accompanying person she was going to tell him about Sasuke. During the time, she had been debating over what to say and how to say it, and Naruto wasn't so great with patience.

"You don't want to tell me, huh, Sakura-chan?" Naruto questioned, his head dropping to the ground in disappointment. "I thought you trusted me."

The blossom-haired girl frowned, "Naruto, it's not that. It's just… complicated to explain it!" She waved her hands somewhat to reassure him.

"How complicated can it be?" Naruto asked.

"It's very complicated, Naruto. Very intricate…" Sakura replied, looking to towards the night sky as she pondered the words in her head.

_How do I tell him…?_

_**Well, you can say he was a figment of your imagination! **_

_Yeah, but I don't know… shouldn't I tell someone about Sasuke-kun?_

Her inner self shrugged in response.

"Well, to put it simply, Sasuke-kun's… a demon from hell sent to 'help' me with my… abuser, and if he does, he'll be able to go to heaven for helping me." She waved her hand off the last sentence, "Or something like that. Are you following so far?" Emerald eyes moved upon the baffled expression of Naruto's. "Naruto?"

Said teen blinked his cerulean blue eyes, "Wait… what did you just say?"

Sakura sighed, "Are you really going to make me repeat that, Naruto? You know I don't like repeating things, and I just told you who Sasuke is!"

The blonde furrowed his eyebrows, throwing his hands in the air. "Sorry, I just lost you when you said _'demon from hell'_!" he told her. "You make it sound so simple, but I don't get it!" His hands ruffled his sun-kissed yellow hair.

Sakura looked down, "I don't really want to explain it again—"

"Tell me, Sakura-chan!" Naruto complained. "The sooner you do, the sooner I'll stop asking about him."

She took a breath, exhaling noisily. "Sasuke's a demon from hell sent here to help me."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head in a confused manner. "_What?_ Isn't he supposed to be making it worse if he's from _hell_?!"

Sakura shook his head at his implication. "I thought that too, but Heaven's giving him a second chance," she explained. "So if he helps me…" she looked down, "well, there's no point in explaining this, he's gone now and won't come back."

"W-Wait a second! One thing at a time, Sakura-chan," Naruto yelled. "Why's he gone? And how come he won't come back? What the _hell_?"

The young woman groaned in frustration, "He's gone because I sent him away, and because I did, he's not coming back! …I lost my chance to make my life right again, all because…" she heaved another sigh. "I just didn't want to be hurt. Get my hopes up too high only to realize it was too good to be true."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto murmured calmly, the two having continued walking during their conversation as they reached an empty park.

"Besides, if I fell in love with him, he'd be permanently gone…" Sakura quietly added, sitting down on an idle cold bench. Naruto sat down beside her.

"So… this Sasuke-teme"—he grinned when he saw her expression twist lightly from the word "teme"—"…did he ever hurt you? At all?"

Sakura wobbled her head, "Nope. Never did."

Naruto ran a hand through his spiky blond hair and sighed. "You sent him away because you didn't want to be hurt…?"

Sakura nodded. "I'm so stupid…"

Naruto put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "What you did was understandable, Sakura-chan." He flashed her a quick grin to encourage her. Then his expression turned into a scowl. "I'm going to kill that bastard for leaving you like that and making you feel this way! That asshole!"

Sakura glanced at noisy young man. "Naruto, don't be so loud."

The blonde turned to his friend, "Sakura-chan, I'll make him come back! The jerk's going to regret ever leaving, I'll make sure of it!"

Sakura couldn't help but smile at Naruto's determined behavior. "Thank you, Naruto, but that's not really necessary…"

The said boy shook his head, "Of course it is! I'm not going to sit by and let your dad abuse you anymore!"

Sakura had risen herself from the bench, walking down the streets.

When Naruto noticed her leave, which just so happened to be a few moments later, he quickly ran after her. "Sakura-chan! Tell me when you're leaving!" The blond-haired boy whined.

Sakura giggled, "Naruto, you may be seventeen, but you have the personality of a five year old." Naruto blinked his eyes innocently, a foxy grin forming on his face.

"That rule…" Naruto started, as they walked down the streets towards the Haruno's home.

"Huh?" Sakura asked. "What'd you say?" Naruto folded his hands behind his head as they continued to walk down the path side-by-side, "That rule that says you can't fall in love with Sasuke-teme," he gave her a side-glance along with a cheeky grin. "I like that rule."

Sakura playfully shoved him in the shoulder. "We went over this, Naruto."

Spoken blonde laughed at her reaction before his expression grew slightly serious. "Why didn't you tell me this before? When he didn't leave and was still here?"

Sakura shrugged, "I asked Sasuke-kun about it, but he never did answer, so I never thought of it."

"I wish you would've told me sooner, Sakura-chan. I wanted to make sure this Sasuke guy was safe to be around." Naruto spoke wistfully with a frown on his face.

"Of course he's safe to be around Naruto," Sakura retorted lightly.

Naruto wave her comment off. "You never know, right?" Arms folded behind his head as he continued. "So, when you were with Sasuke-teme—"

Sakura scowled at her friend, "Stop calling him a 'teme'."

Naruto shrugged, nonchalant. "Fine, when you were with _Sasuke_—" The golden-haired boy paused for a moment. "I don't get why you're acting so… _different _over him… did something happen between you two that I should know about?" He quirked an eyebrow curiously as he glanced at her.

"Nothing happened, Naruto," Sakura replied to him, "It's just… something about him _was_ different— I don't know, you're right though; I am acting strange, huh? I wish I knew why."

_**Maybe it's guilt…**_ Inner Sakura mused.

_Guilty of what? _

_**Of sending him away—or maybe it's because you actually**_** miss **_**him! **_her alter ego cooed at the last two words.

"Are you_ sure_ he's not coming back?" Naruto asked. "I wanted to teach that bastard a lesson—"

Sakura shook her head and shrugged, "I honestly don't know, Naruto. He told me he wasn't going to come back, that he was just going to go back to hell… but…" Naruto kept quiet as she spoke, "I don't know… let's just forget it, okay?"

"You miss him?" Naruto inquired, trying to finish for her.

Sakura laughed bitterly, "Of course not! He's a stranger, I barely even know the guy! Why would I—?" She stopped, looking at the ground. She knew there was no point in going on. "I don't know, he just makes me feel… _protected._"

Naruto nodded his head and sadly smiled. "And I don't?"

"Of course you do, too! You make me feel safe… like I don't have an abusive father. Thanks for that, Naruto."

The said boy grinned sheepishly. She had been telling him that more than once lately in that day, and he wasn't used to getting so much compliments from a person. "Heh, you know Sakura-chan, I didn't mean to make you feel guilty or anything!" he replied to her kind words.

Sakura smiled genuinely at him, "Still, I mean it."

Naruto laughed quietly, a happy, wide beam on his whiskery face. "So, what do you know about this Sasuke guy?" the blond asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Not much, really…" Sakura admitted. "He never really did talk about his past."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Didn't talk about his past? Did this guy ever talk at all?"

"He was a quiet guy, well, most of the time. I guess the type of person who doesn't really open up as freely."

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Huh, he sounds kind of familiar, like someone we've met. I just can't remember…"

The blossom-haired lass nodded. "Me, too, I think that's why I became so attached to him so easily—because he seemed so familiar."

Naruto's cerulean orbs widened upon a hinting realization. "Wait a second… his name was _Sasuke?_"

Sakura nodded numbly. "Yeah, what of it?"

Naruto stopped walking, azure eyes broadening as his arms grasped the startled girl by the shoulders, "Sakura-chan! Don't you remember? That guy we met with Kakashi-sensei a few years ago, his name was Sasuke! Remember?! He died two years ago!"

"He died when we were fifteen?" Sakura asked, before her brilliant emerald eyes widened. "Oh, that's right! Sasuke… the man Kakashi-sensei was with… that's _why_—that's why he seemed so familiar!"

Naruto nodded his head against his arms that were horizontal over his upper torso. "Wait," he started, "didn't he recognize you at all when he saw you?"

The blossom-haired girl glanced upwards upon Uzumaki's statement, silently pondering in her head. "Come to think of it… he didn't seem like he recognized me at all."

Naruto scratched his fair-haired head. "Oh. But don't you think… he could be the same guy we met two years ago?"

Sakura sighed, "I don't know, Naruto…"

_Isn't it too late to figure this out? _she added mentally, deliberating.

They soon reached Tetsuki's dark home. The doors were still locked, and Sakura knew that her father had not come home yet after he left. She quickly snuck in through the window in her room, giving Naruto a quick wave of goodbye.

"I'll see you later, Naruto," she called out to him softly as he nodded, turning his back as he begun to take his leave.

Sakura looked at herself through the reflection of her broken mirror once she was inside her own room. _Wow, I'm a mess…_ she spoke mentally before she heard a rustling sound from outside. She walked over to her window, slowly peering outside.

"…Naruto…?" she called out quietly, thinking the blonde had forgotten something.

Assuming it was only the wind when she heard of no response, Sakura turned around. Her mouth fell open as she gasped upon what she had turned and seen. Her shock had caused the girl to be unable to scream, but once most of the alarm had worn off, she forced herself to speak.

"Sasuke-kun?!"


	9. Part IX

**A/N: This story became more popular then I thought it would be. Glad you all like it!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku.

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Back**

The raven-haired demon slowly stepped out from under the dark shadows. He had an arrogant smirk plastered on his handsome face, his arms crossed over his well-built muscular chest.

"Why the surprise, _Sa-ku-ra_?" he taunted, the girl's name rolling smooth as velvet off his tongue.

The said young woman blinked her sea green pupils, rubbing her eyes a few times. "Wh-_What_? I—but—you— …you said you couldn't come back when I sent you away!"

Sasuke's smirk broadened. "Ever heard of a _lie_, Sakura?"

The blossom-haired girl frowned upon this, her feet stomping as she marched right up to him. The next thing she did was based on her instinct.

She had jumped onto him, her arms wound tightly around his neck and her face buried in his chest.

Sasuke nearly stumbled over from the sudden addition of weight, lifting an eyebrow as he noticed the girl's leg encircle her legs around his lean waist, insuring her position.

"Don't leave… again…" murmured Sakura, her voice muffled from his upper body.

Sasuke blinked, bemused. He was starting to feel some moistness on his chest, but he wasn't sure what it was.

_Is she… _crying_?_ _Over me? _His eyebrows knitted together, furrowing at his comprehension.The Uchiha laid one of his arms loosely around her waist, supporting her against him. Feeling uncomfortable, he gently tried to pry Sakura away from him.

"Sakura…" he murmured, tugging on her arms. "…You can let go now."

Sakura looked up at him, her chin resting on his collarbone with a playful smile on her face. "I know, but I don't want to."

Sasuke merely said nothing, just narrowed his dark ebony eyes. "You look like…" he started with a whisper, getting a different view of the girl latched onto him with the moonlight shining on her porcelain skin.

Sakura slackened her grip and let go of him, landing on her feet on the ground. She cocked her head to the side, apple green eyes blinking in confusion, "Look like what, Sasuke?"

The said demon merely shook his head, looking to the side. "Never mind."

Sakura frowned, grabbing both sides of his face with her hands and forcing him to look at her, "Tell me," she repeated with light order laced in her tone, wondering why he had a sudden change in mood especially with having to do with her appearance.

Sasuke avoided her gaze. "It's nothing. You just remind me of this girl I knew… before I died. She looks just like you."

Sakura blinked a few times, letting go of his face and processing the information he had said to her in her head. _A girl… that looks like me?_ She then remembered Naruto's words.

-

-

-

_Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Huh, he sounds kind of familiar, like someone we've met. I just can't remember…"_

_The blossom-haired lass nodded. "Me, too, I think that's why I became so attached to him so easily—because he seemed so familiar."_

_Naruto's cerulean orbs widened upon a hinting realization. "Wait a second… his name was Sasuke?"_

_Sakura nodded numbly. "Yeah, what of it?"_

_Naruto stopped walking, azure eyes broadening as his arms grasped the startled girl by the shoulders, "Sakura-chan! Don't you remember? That guy we met with Kakashi-sensei a few years ago, his name was Sasuke! Remember?! He died two years ago!"_

-

-

-

Sudden realization clicked in her head. She looked at Sasuke with slightly enlarged eyes and the corvine-haired demon narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"What?" he asked her skeptically, based on her expression.

Sakura bit her lip, unsure of how to ask him regarding of Naruto's alleged thought of the supernatural being before her. "Uh, Sasuke-kun…"

"What?" he repeated once more, slightly more aggravated.

"How old were you when you died?" Sakura quickly asked.

Sasuke shrugged, "Sixteen or something." He quirked an eyebrow upon the question. "Why?" he added.

Sakura glanced at him, feeling somewhat nervous through his intense, penetrating gaze. He looked as though he was boring right through her eyes—into what she was thinking. The very thought caused the girl to gulp unconsciously.

"It—It's just…" she started meekly before clearing her voice and raising the volume, sounding more firm. "Two years ago, I was 15. I knew a boy named Sasuke who was sixteen, and he looked just like you—"

"I doubt it," he interrupted sternly with a scoff. Emerald eyes lowered to the floor, a light laugh escaping her lips.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she looked up at him, even though despite her earlier statement, she was determined not to let the subject go. "Can you remember that girl—that girl you said looked like me? Can you remember her, anything specific?"

Sasuke stepped toward her during her questioning. "Why the sudden interest in my past life?"

Sakura firmly looked at him, "I just want to know." Her answer was simple and brief.

The supernatural being remained stoic at her fixed actions. "I don't remember my past life much. All I remember is this pink-haired girl that care for me a whole lot, and a blond-haired idiot that never stopped talking about ramen."

"Do you remember how you met them? Their names? Anything?" Sakura asked earnestly. With each question, her body was getting an inch closer.

Sasuke shook his head plainly. "No. You tend to forget you're past life when you're dead for two years," he answered flatly.

Sakura sighed upon hearing the bitterness in his tone. _And here I thought… he might've actually been the boy from two years ago…_

"I see," she murmured quietly in response. Sasuke's onyx eyes watched her closely as she trudged her feet across the room and lied down on her bed, heaving out a heavy sigh as she closed her jade pupils.

"Where did you get those bandages?" the corvine-haired demon questioned, his expression stoic.

Sakura opened one of her eyes, "Naruto showed up after 'dad' left. He took one look at me, then rushed me over to Hinata-chan's place and she gave me all these bandages."

Sasuke's expression grew dead serious. "Your dad did that to you?" he asked, his arms folded over his chest as he walked beside her bed. "And who the hell is this 'Naruto' person you keep on mentioning? Your _boyfriend_?" He scoffed upon the last word.

Sakura opened both of her eyes and sat up, unconsciously rubbing the bandages on her arms. "Naruto's like a brother to me, not my boyfriend. I could never think of him like that!" the carnation-haired girl replied instantly. "And yes, my father did this to me. Who else do you think did, _myself_? This should be nothing new to you."

Sasuke's onyx gaze hardened at her words. _What the hell's her problem_? he thought idly in his head upon hearing the spite in her voice.

"Take off the bandages, I'll take care of the wounds," the raven-haired demon ordered unconscientiously. Sakura sighed, slightly wincing as she took the medical bandages and gauze off of her body.

Sasuke took one look over her as a light blue glow formed in the palm of his right hand. Moving his hand, he hovered over her wounds. In less than a minute, all of her bruises and injuries were healed.

"Thanks," Sakura mumbled, avoiding his narrowed eyes.

"Show me who this Naruto person is," Sasuke stated with little command.

Sakura looked at him curiously upon his statement. "Why?" she asked, blinking her eyes.

"Because I say so," he retorted tediously.

_Maybe… if I showed him to Naruto, Naruto could see if he remembers him as the boy from two years ago, or if Sasuke-kun notices anything about him._

_**Worth a try, right?**_ chimed in her alter ego, encouraging the idea.

Mentally, Sakura nodded, standing up as she carefully carried her legs over towards the window. She opened the closed square window as Sasuke silently followed her. The Haruno female took one last look at her cluttered, trashed room before she discreetly closed the window behind her gently in silence—

—Just barely missing the noise of the front door opening and slamming loudly in it's wake as the sound echoed through the empty walls.

Sasuke wordlessly followed Sakura through the forest satiated of trees. The moon shone brilliantly bright above the sky as it's light reflected on both of them. Absent-mindedly, the raven-haired demon noticed how the moon's rays shone off of Sakura's bright pastel pink hair, giving it a pale look.

_Her name…_ he thought to himself idly. _Did she get it because of her hair?_

"Who named you?" inquired Uchiha.

Sakura had kept on walking forward, merely turning her head to look at the demon upon his question. "What?" asked she, slightly confused on what he meant, and where the question had originated.

_Why does he want to know?_ she wondered to herself indolently.

"Who gave you your name?" he repeated again, slightly irritated, for he was one who did not like to repeat himself.

"My… My mother gave me my name. She said that my hair represented cherry blossoms, so she named me _Sakura_, for cherry blossoms," the blossom-haired girl replied, sadness evident in her voice. She then stopped walking, common sense hitting her. She turned around and looked at Sasuke.

"You know, Sasuke-kun, Naruto's probably sleeping now." Her gaze moved up to the sky, "It is pretty late, after all." She looked back down at the impassive face of Sasuke's. "And for all he's done for me, I don't want to disturb him. Can we just head back?" Jade eyes (looking darker from the dimness surrounding them) blinked as she waited for the demon's response.

Sasuke simply understood, not bothering replying as he did a minimal grunt, his body turning around as he started heading back to the home of Haruno.

Sakura smiled and caught up with him with a little jog. They both walked side by side, and the rest of the way back to Tetsuki's house was occupied with silence as neither bothered to say anything. Once near, the blossom-haired girl subtly made it to her bedroom window, quickly opening it. She winced as she opened the window, a long screeching sound following as she pulled the window up higher.

_I hope he's not home yet…_ Sakura thought, nervously biting her lower lip. She snuck inside as Sasuke effortlessly followed her a mere fraction of a second later. Then, a loud crashing sound was heard, as if a beer bottle had fallen on the floor and the glass pieces were all scattered.

Sakura opened her mouth to scream out of shock, but Sasuke's coarse hand quickly covered it. He pushed her against the wall when he noticed her struggling against him, her sounds of protest muffled from his hold of her mouth. She had both of her hands wound around his wrist that was covering her lips, trying to desperately pull it away, the darkness and earlier panic having confused her mind instantly as she mentally assumed her father was shutting her mouth.

"Calm down," Sasuke whispered to her firmly in an attempt to assure her.

Upon hearing the voice, emerald eyes snapped open, her struggling ceasing as she let her hands fall limply beside her body.

She pointed her apple green gaze down before they slowly lifted, peering into the dark onyx pupils of Sasuke's. His eyes were sinful and everlastingly shady as she felt herself get lost in his gaze. It was then Sakura noticed their close proximity as she felt his faint breath fanning against her face. Her eyelids hooded over jade eyes, her lips parting slightly as she unconsciously inched her face closer to his.

She was expecting to only meet air, only to notice that Sasuke was neither pushing her away nor leaning away. Instead, he remained perfectly still, silky raven bangs hiding his expression from her. Taking this as a sign to continue, she kept bringing her head nearer and nearer.

Their lips brushed against each other's for a moment.

It was then Sakura began to close her half-lidded eyes when suddenly, the door to her room slammed open. Her eyes shot open and she pulled back immediately, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Oh, _no_…" Sasuke heard her whisper desperately underneath her breath. He followed her stunned gaze, his mouth setting into a thin, grim line.

"What the…! The _fuck_ are you two doing?!"

* * *

**A/N: Anyone think they know who it is? **


	10. Part X

**A/N:** A little longer chapter for today.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Now are you happy?

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

**Chapter 10 – Caught**

"What the fuck are you two doing?!" the gruff voice repeated. Sasuke, with a calm expression, looked over to owner of the voice.

"T-Tetsuki!" Sakura hissed under her breath. Sasuke took a step back from Sakura, his onyx gaze still on Sakura's father.

"Answer my question!" The Haruno male yelled, pointing his furious glare directly at the raven-haired demon. "Who the hell are you?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Sakura's shivering body, probably out of fear, he guessed. _Why does Sakura let this human boss her around so much?_ Sasuke pondered in his mind. Sasuke's sharp sense of smell whiffed the scent of alcohol coming from the man a few yards before him.

_Oh man, Sasuke-kun's in big trouble,_ a worried Sakura thought in her mind.

_**He's a demon, he should be fine,**_ Inner Sakura countered.

"Don't make me ask again," Tetsuki threatened lowly. Sasuke growled, sneering in response. "Who the _hell_ are _you_?" he spat.

_Dumbass, trying to threaten me,_ Sasuke thought. "Sasuke," he finally answered. "Uchiha—" Tetsuki unexpectedly lunged at him, an action probably caused from all the booze he had drunk. Sasuke caught the flying fist aimed for his pale face, continuing what he was saying before, "—Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

"I don't care who the hell you are! Get out of my house before I arrest you for breaking and entering! And you!" He looked over at Sakura who stiffened from his gaze. "Don't think you're going unpunished for bringing a stranger in the house!"

Sakura let out an incoherent whimper, mentally kicking herself for not noticing her father's presence within her house. _I wish he wasn't alive! I wish I wasn't his daughter! I wish… he hadn't interrupted Sasuke-kun and me… _a small blush crept on her cheeks from the thought. She shook her head. _They're only wishes… they'll never come true._

_That's it,_ Sasuke said, his patience breaking. Sharingan blazed his eyes, a part of his transformation. After all, he'd had it all figured out. He'd transform to his demonic form, knock Tetsuki out, then lay him down somewhere and make it seem like it was all a dream.

As his Sharingan blazed, no black wings spread from his back, and no black marks from his curse seal marred his skin. _What the fuck? How come I can't—? _He paused, cursing himself. He had almost kissed her. A sign of affection he was not allowed to be showing.

Because he was so close to showing the sign of affection, he's only dealing with the minor consequences by not being able to transform.

Tetsuki moved his other fist blindly towards Sasuke's body, which took it and deflected it elsewhere as he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Pathetic human," he muttered, elbowing Tetsuki in the neck causing the grown man to fall unconscious as he hit the ground. Sakura winced slightly from the thud the floor made when her father's body hit the ground.

The pink-haired girl watched as Sasuke pulled the unconscious body towards the living room, hurling him without care onto the couch. She noticed that every time he touched Tetsuki, there would be a bruise wherever his hand came in contact with.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper from her earlier fright as she recieved the raven-haired demon's attention. "How come when you touch me, I don't get bruises but when you touch someone else, they get bruises?"

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke answered briefly, wiping his hands together as his face twisted into a sneer as he looked at Tetsuki's unconscious body.

"Sakura…" Sasuke said quietly, turning to face her with a stoic expression as the girl glanced at him curiously.

"That… what we almost did, it never happened."

Sakura cocked her head to the side, confusion written all over her face. _What we almost did…? What does he—_ She paused, remembering the kiss they almost shared. "You mean the…?" She didn't bother to finish her sentence.

Sasuke read the look on her eyes, knowing that she knew what he meant. "It never happened," he repeated.

A flash of sadness crossed her face, and was immediately replaced with a fake smile. "Right… it… it never happened."

Sasuke narrowed his onyx eyes.

"If you want me to stay here, you better act like it meant nothing," he told her. Sakura looked up at his face as he spoke, wondering if he had any feeling towards the kiss they almost had. But the way he said it with a monotone voice doubted her hopes.

"Okay…" she said, moving her emerald green eyes away from his pale face.

_Damn,_ Sasuke swore in his mind, _I shouldn't have done that. Now she's hurt because she thinks I did it on accident…_ But what he was really thinking of was why he had leaned towards her in the first place.

"You're lying," Sasuke pointed out. "Listen to me Sakura, I shouldn't have done what I did. I could put you in danger, as much as I would be. Understand?"

"I know, Sasuke-kun… I'm just a little dazed from the day's events. Can we just drop it for now?" Sakura asked, lying through her words, her voice slightly hoarse. Sasuke knew she was lying, but decided not to argue with her. After all, he could tell from the unsure tone of her voice and how her eyes constantly avoided his eyes and face.

"Hn," he answered quietly, walking towards a corner and sitting down, arms crossed over his chest as he kept his gaze on the pink-haired girl. "Go to sleep then."

"Are you sure you'll be comfortable there?" Sakura asked. "Because you don't have to—"

"It doesn't matter. Just sleep."

Too tired to complain, Sakura dragged her worn out body towards the sheets of her bed, letting herself fall on it without bothering to pull the covers on herself. She was instantly asleep, Sasuke noticed, as her breathing immediately became even.

_This girl's life… is one I never would of thought she'd live in,_ Sasuke thought in his mind, still keeping his onyx gaze on her even though the room was dark. _So different on the outside… no one would guess what she deals with every day—_

Then the curse seal that lied on the back of his neck burned ferociously. He hissed, biting his tongue to prevent making any noise as his hand went immediately for the black mark. _Damn it…!_ He cursed.

The only time the curse seal went off was when he did something he wasn't supposed to.

_So they know,_ Sasuke thought to himself. Almost immediately after the curse seal started giving pain, he was taken out of the world of living and brought down into hell.

"What a shame, little brother, letting those emotions get the better of you," Itachi taunted, as he and the other nine Akatsuki members were perched on high stools.

"Itachi…" Sasuke growled, "What do you want now?"

"Still so arrogant and disrespectful, yeah," Deidara, an Akatsuki member, said. Sasuke glared at the ten men.

"You know why you are here, there's no point in starting a fight," the leader of Akatsuki said.

"I didn't show affection to her," Sasuke said, trying to control his anger.

"But you almost did," an Akatsuki member, Kisame, pointed out. "And for doing so, you're not getting away so easily." He gave a shark-like grin as Sasuke gave a death glare in response.

"If it were our choice, you wouldn't be allowed to have a second life and would be punished for your treason against what you were told not to do," the leader of Akatsuki said. "But, lucky for you, it's not our choice. Heaven's the one that offered this to you, and because of their 'generosity', they're giving you a second chance."

"But if you mess up this time, Uchiha," another Akatsuki member, Paine, said, "it's all over for you."

Sasuke said nothing, just scowled. The ten men before him knew he understood, and sent him away. Sasuke reappeared in Sakura's room, the bright morning rays showing that the night had passed on to morning.

When he returned, he noticed Sakura already up, staring blankly at the floor as her legs were pulled up to her chest. Her arms were around her legs as her head rested on her knees.

"You left," she said calmly, not turning her head to look at him. "Where'd you go?"

"I had to take care of something," Sasuke retorted.

Sakura nodded numbly. "Okay then, I was just curious."

Sasuke rose an eyebrow at her peculiar behavior. "What's your problem?"

The pink-haired girl shrugged in response. "Nothing really… I was just thinking."

Sasuke kept his intense stare on her, "What were you thinking of?" The demon asked nonchalantly.

She got up, getting off of her bed that she had sat on. She walked up to Sasuke as he looked down to face her as she finally looked at him. "Us," she finally told him. "I'm… confused."

"I told you, it meant nothing."

"But what if it did!" Her sudden outburst threw Sasuke off guard.

_I knew it…_ he thought. _A big mistake…_

"Sakura… you need to understand—"

Angry tears rose to Sakura's emerald green eyes, but they did not fall. "Understand what? That what happened never meant anything? I know that, but I need to know why it's not supposed to mean anything!"

Sasuke let out a faint sigh, "Look—"

"No! I don't want to know!" Her interrupting him was getting on his nerves. He let out an irritated growl, looking down at her with a hard stare. He gripped her upper arms tightly, forcing her to stay still as she looked at him.

"You need to understand," he said in a deadly quiet voice. "We. Can't. Fall. In. Love." Each word he said with strong force causing Sakura to blink at each remark. The pink-haired girl looked down at the floor for a few seconds, her face regaining a relaxed composure, even though her face was red from yelling.

She looked back up at him, then, without warning, moved her face upwards, kissing him.

**A/N:**** Quite the ending I left there. Hope you enjoyed it!**


	11. Part XI

**A/N:**** This is probably like the "long awaited" chapter or something. Man, I left quite the ending in that last chapter, probably one of the best chapters I'd written. :) So here's the long awaited update!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_. –sobs in emo corner of woe­–

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

**Chapter 11 – Rule Breaking**

_She _had kissed _him._ It wasn't supposed to happen, and it wasn't meant to happen. Sakura's body just moved on it's own, against her screaming will, against her conscious mind. It just…moved. And she didn't stop herself. Why? She was currently wondering that during the moment.

She let her lips linger on his. She was waiting for a shove, a push, _some_ reaction, even if it was a negative one. She opened one of her jade orbs, curious to see the Uchiha's reaction. Just as she was about to open one of her eyes, she felt a harsh push and soon she felt the wall come in contact with her back.

She made a small groan from the action, feeling the Uchiha pull back. She rubbed her back, about to open her eyes when she felt a pair of familiar lips on her own again, except this time it was more demanding and aggressive. Sakura's eyes opened, widening in shock.

He bit her bottom lip, making the pink-haired girl's mouth open out of the quick pain. His tongue thrust inside, dominating her tongue as they fought for dominance. _'Wait…' _Sakura thought, logic entering her mind although her head started fogging with lust, _'I thought he couldn't do this…?' _

Her arms made their way around his neck, his hands resting at her hips. He pressed his mouth onto hers harder, earning a small noise from Sakura in response. Much to her displeasing, Sakura pulled back, panting as she looked up at Sasuke.

"S…Sasuke-kun…" she breathed out. "I thought—"

"Shut up," Sasuke cut her off, his onyx eyes now a deep scarlet as the Sharingan tomoes appeared in his eyes. His lips pressed on hers again for a mere moment, before he took them off and started trailing kisses on her neck.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said in protest to his actions, her hand lightly pressing against his chest in an effort to push him away. He grunted, not stopping what he was doing. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura tried again to get his attention. When he bit her neck, she made a squeaking noise, until she got frustrated with him ignoring her. "Sasuke-kun!"

The raven-haired demon pulled back, looking directly into Sakura's apple green eyes. "_What_?" he hissed. Sakura narrowed her eyes, pushing him a few feet away from her.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Sakura said. "You're being a hypocrite. You said that we couldn't—"

"I said we couldn't fall in love," Sasuke countered. "But I never said we couldn't have lust for each other. What just happened—that was lust."

"Lust?" Sakura repeated, taking a few minutes to contemplate the word in her head. "That was all…lust?" Sasuke nodded, stepping a few steps backwards. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He didn't do that on his own…his body was forced to do that. He tried to step closer to her again, but there was something like an invisible force field that stopped him from doing so. _'What the hell?' _Sasuke thought. _'Why can't I go near her?'_

Just as Sakura was about to open her mouth to speak again, Sasuke reverted to his demonic form, and disappeared. _'Where's he going?' _Sakura thought, but the thought was pushed to the farthest part of her mind. She was confused, _very _confused at what had just happened.

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"What the hell?" Sasuke said as he walked towards the group of men known as Akatsuki. "Why can't I go near her?"

"Tsk, tsk, foolish little brother," Itachi said in a dead calm voice. "You should've known better than to disobey the rules."

"I'm not in _love _with her," Sasuke spat back, glaring at the older Uchiha sibling. "So why the hell can't I touch her?"

Deidara spoke up, "Because of what you just did, yeah." Sasuke's eyes flashed of Sharingan.

"_She _kissed _me_," he retorted.

"But _you _responded," Akatsuki's leader said back. Sasuke stayed silent, and the leader continued talking, "Because of your little 'action' Uchiha, you're now forbidden to touch her."

Sasuke's anger soared, and in the blink of an eye he had the Akatsuki leader held up by his neck. "Who the fuck are you to tell me what I can and can't do?" he threatened in a low voice, his grip tightening on the man's neck.

"Ah, ah, ah, not so fast there little brother," Itachi said smoothly, his fingers on a dangerous pressure point on Sasuke's neck. "That's no way to treat superior authority who have the control when to kill you or not."

Sasuke glared hard at the expressionless face of the leader before dropping him. The younger Uchiha scoffed, walking away from Itachi's smirking face. "Fuck this," he cursed under his breath. "This is all just a big piece of bullshit," he added muttering before disappearing once again.

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Sasuke reappeared back in Sakura's room. To his surprise, he found her body bruised and beaten, sitting in a corner with her legs tucked in and her arms around them. Sasuke didn't need to ask the question since she answered it for him. "'Daddy' woke up," Sakura said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sasuke tried to walk over to her, to heal her wounds, but he remembered that he was forbidden to do so, no matter how much he needed—or wanted—to. "I thought you were supposed to prevent these things from happening," Sakura said. "I thought you were here to 'help' me with this."

"Sakura—"

"You weren't here!" Sakura yelled, her body to weak to stand up. She lifted her head up to look at his face. "You said you'd be here to help me, but all you've done is make it worse! When, since the time you've been with me, have you helped me at _all_?"

Sasuke remained silent as she had yelled at him. _'Damn,' _he thought. She had a point. "Sakura—" Sasuke started but was once again cut off.

"Save it," Sakura said. "I'll just go to Hinata-chan to get bandages for these wounds. I don't want you anywhere near me."

Sasuke watched her struggle to get up with empty onyx eyes. Without turning to look at him once, she managed to get herself out of her window. Sasuke heard her take a few steps until he heard a _thud_ sound. He easily made it outside of her window, finding Sakura's beaten body on the ground, her eyes closed.

Sasuke bent down, scooping her up in his arms and brought her back inside her room, laying her down on her bed. He studied her face, looking at the cuts and bruises on her cheeks. _'How the hell am I supposed to help her?'_ he thought to himself.

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_Just as Sakura was about to open her mouth to speak again, Sasuke reverted to his demonic form, and disappeared. _'Where's he going?'_ Sakura thought, but the thought was pushed to the farthest part of her mind. She was confused, very confused at what had just happened. _

_After Sasuke had left, Sakura heard a grunt. Her heartbeat accelerated quickly, there was no one else in the house besides her and her father. She heard feet dragging themselves around the house, and her heartbeat increased ten fold. _'Sasuke-kun!' _her mind screamed. _

_Her door slammed open, and Sakura winced at the harsh gesture. "You…" Tetsuki ground out. "Where's that little bastard that hit me?" He made the question sound like a statement in his angry, gruff tone._

_Sakura didn't answer, infuriating her biological father even more. "Answer me!" he said, stomping up to her and grabbing her by her neck. Sakura's mouth still stayed shut, her eyes closing from pain as Tetsuki tightened his grip on her neck, suffocating her. _

_"You're—You're choking me," Sakura said in a barely audible voice. The man chuckled at the power he held over the pink-haired girl, throwing her body down on the floor. Sakura felt bruises forming. _

_"He's not here!" Sakura yelled. Tetsuki grinned, a grin that sent scared shivers up Sakura's spine._

_"Then get his little ass over here _now_!" he roared. _

_"I—I don't know where he is!" Sakura answered back. Her body was shaking unconsciously from her immense fear of the man before her. _

_"Then you'll pay the price," Tetsuki muttered, picking Sakura up and landing a harsh blow in her stomach. Sakura immediately fell forward, blood spitted out of her mouth._

_His harsh beating continued, doing anything to her. Kicks, punches, twist of her legs or arms, anything that would cause her pain. When he was satisfied with her near-dead state, he left, a smirk on his features, leaving his daughter to squirm into a corner and stay there, her knees tucked with her arms around them._

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Hours passed, Sasuke watched over Sakura's unmoving body, guarding her. When he saw her stir, he did nothing, waiting for her to fully awake as her emerald green eyes flickered open.

The pink-haired girl turned, and then sat up. Sakura moved her eyes to where Sasuke was for a brief moment before letting them settle elsewhere. "Sorry," Sakura mumbled. "I shouldn't have gotten upset last night, I guess I was just still emotional about what happened."

"Hn," Sasuke answered back, his onyx eyes focusing on the ground, his arms crossed over his lean chest.

"Did you stay up all night watching over me?" Sakura asked, even though she could tell he did from his position right next to her. He didn't answer, and Sakura gave a small smile.

She moved over, giving him a quick hug. She let him go, her smile still on her face. "Arigatou, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said. "I think…I think you did help me out of all this time you were with me."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "And how is that?"

"Because…you helped me realize that I don't have to be in this situation. And if it weren't for you protecting me like before, I wouldn't have summoned up the courage to do what I'm about to do." Sasuke knew what she was going to say next.

"I'm going to tell Tsunade-shishou about this whole thing, and I'll know she'll believe me."

**A/N:**** Wow, this took me a while to get out. Anyway, I'm SO SO SO sorry for taking over a month to update, **_**again**_**! I'm sorry, but stupid school isn't being favoring you guys! And I really have to make up my grades, I messed up, and now I have to focus on school, and it really sucks because then I won't be able to update as often.**

**Also, what Sakura was talking about when she said Sasuke "protected" her before, that was in last chapter, when he knocked Tetsuki out, before Sakura kissed him and all that stuff. I really hope this chapter made up for what I left you. **

**Please **_**read and review**_


	12. Part XII

**A/N:**** Most of you noticed the "mistake" I made last chapter (with Sasuke picking Sakura up and bringing her inside when he's not allowed to touch her.) Yes, that was a mistake, please ignore it. **

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_.

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

**Chapter 12 – The Truth**

"I'm going to tell Tsunade-shishou about this, and I know she'll believe me," Sakura had said. Her emerald green eyes held fierce determination, and Sasuke couldn't help the smirk that played across his lips. _**'About time you did something about this,' **_Inner Sakura muttered. "So I'm assuming that after I tell Tsunade-shishou you'll… leave…" she said the last two words slowly, just registering what they really meant.

"Aa," Sasuke said, his smirk turning into a blank expression.

"Wait… what exactly is going to happen to you?" Sakura asked. She blinked her jade green orbs curiously to the raven-haired demon beside her. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her question.

"What's it to you what happens to me?" Sasuke asked in a slightly stern voice. Sakura bit her lower lip, feeling her stomach churn at his words. _'Does he not want me to think about it?' _she thought to herself. Seeing the flash of hurt cross her eyes from his harsh tone, he rephrased his words. "Don't worry about what happens to me. Just as long as you get out of this mess, I'll be fine."

_'Was it my imagination…' _Sakura thought, slightly gaping. _'Or did his voice show some… sincerity?' _Sakura nodded, giving him a genuine smile. "Okay then, Sasuke-kun." She looked towards her window. _'Now to get out…' _She walked towards it, opening it up a little. She winced from the high squeaking noise that came from opening the window.

Sasuke in the meantime went to the dark corner of her room, sitting there with his legs crossed and his arms folded across his chest as he watched the pink-haired girl make her way out of the hell house through the window.

Just as Sakura got it high enough for her to climb out, her door slammed open, revealing the person she didn't want to see at the moment. "Where the hell do you think you're going wench?" Tetsuki's voice said, a sneer on his face. _'Damn it!' _Sakura cursed. She had just barely recovered from his earlier beating, and wasn't sure if she could take another so soon.

Sasuke sneered. _'When is he ever going to give her a rest?' _Sasuke thought. He looked at the trembling form of Sakura, and he felt his blood boil. He got up, his face glaring dangerously as his blood red Sharingan eyes flashed threateningly at the Haruno male. "Oh, so you brought your little friend with you?" Tetsuki said in a taunting tone. "Great, now I can kill two birds with one stone!"

Tetsuki took out a rifle, a rifle Sakura didn't know her father had. _'Where—_When _did he get that?' _her mind screamed. Everything happened so quickly, everything was a blur to her. All she heard was the deafening sound of a gunshot, and the sickening sound of blood splattering across the floor. Her shaking emerald green eyes looked up, afraid of whom that gun was aimed at. She met her fears when she saw the massive blood spilling out from Sasuke's body.

The bullet had hit him—the bullet imbedded right near his heart.

Sasuke raised his hands, holding his wound. He took back his hands, the tomoes in his eyes swirling at the sight before him. _His blood._ Sasuke hadn't seen his own blood since he died his painful, torturing death so long ago. He stared at his blood blankly, and Sakura yearned to ask him what's wrong, but when she tried to use her voice, she felt her attempt to call out to him a barely audible hoarse whisper.

"What's wrong boy?" Tetsuki asked, following a chortle. The twisted man had assumed that Sasuke's blank state was because he was traumatized, and he grinned evilly as he waited for the raven-haired male to drop dead in front of him from too much blood loss because of the gunshot wound.

But instead of seeing Sasuke's body fall as he thought he would, he just saw black marks spread over the boy's pale skin, his eyes now glistening harder than ever. Tetsuki dropped the gun, gaping and eyes widening in clear shock when he saw two large wings spurge from Sasuke's back, blood hitting the already blood-stained floor from the wings outburst from his body. When Sasuke looked up at him, Tetsuki felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.

_Fear. _But there was something different about his eyes. Not only were they clouded for blood lust, the beaming scarlet showing the need for the shed of blood, but also his eyes were glazed over. Despite the fact that his mouth was twisted in an evil grin, barring sharp fangs on his white teeth, his eyes were glazed over—as though his mind was in another place.

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_Sixteen-year-old Sasuke coughed up blood, glaring deadly at his older brother that stood tall and unscathed in front of him. Sasuke's mangled up body compared to Itachi's scratch less one made it simple to know who was the stronger of the two. _'Bastard,' _Sasuke cursed in his head, coughing up more blood as he leaned over._

_"Foolish—" Itachi punched Sasuke's stomach, "—little brother. You still let your emotions get the better of you." The older Uchiha's Mangenkyou Sharingan locked on Sasuke's Sharingan gaze, throwing the raven-haired boy to a place of full hell for 72 hours. Swords, knives, any object that caused pain was thrown and imbedded in Sasuke's body as the shinobi was tied helplessly against a cross looking piece of wood. _

_Sasuke groaned from the pain, screaming when three swords came from three different directions and pierced him all at once. Despite it all being an illusion, Itachi had the skill to make it feel as though it was real. Sasuke's screams filled Itachi's ears, music to the psychopath's ears. "That's right, brother," Itachi said calmly. "Pay for letting emotions get the better of you." _

_Itachi had released him, taking a kunai and cutting it slowly, agonizingly across Sasuke's toned stomach. Sasuke gritted his teeth, shutting his eyes from the pain. Sasuke fought back with the chakra he had conserved, although it wasn't much help. It got him in a worse situation as he ended up pinned from kunai in his shirt against the wall. _

_Itachi had a calm expression as he threw a kunai that stuck itself in Sasuke's shoulder. "Kuso!" Sasuke manage to yell through gritted teeth. "Damn you to hell—" he coughed up more blood, "—Itachi!" _

_A cold smirk played on Itachi's features. "Isn't it ironic that you're getting killed in the same room that Father and Mother were killed, brother?" Pure hatred was in Sasuke'e eyes. If only he hadn't trained with Team Kakashi that day, using practically all of his chakra on his one against three spar. _

_Pounding on Sasuke's main door erupted the silence that had followed Itachi's statement. "Sasuke!" Kakashi's voice was heard. "Open this door!" Apparently, ANBU had told the Hokage of Itachi's appearance in Konoha, which had let Tsunade to tell Kakashi. And Kakashi, being the wise ninja he was, knew exactly where Uchiha Itachi would be in a city like Konohagakure._

_"Sasuke!" Kakashi yelled once more. The door opened slowly, eerily. Kakashi, cautiously slowly, had his guard up as he stepped inside. The stench of blood filled the air making Kakashi's face twinge in disgust. As he walked a little farther, into the last room he hadn't been to, he narrowed his only visible coal eye._

_There, hung helplessly on the wall, was Sasuke. His dark raven bangs covered his eyes, and Kakashi knew he was dead. Kakashi was scowling from underneath his mask. There were words next to him that haunted Kakashi for a few days afterwards. _

You're too late.

_The next day passed, and when Kakashi met his team unusually on time, Naruto and Sakura could tell from his calm, passive but serious face that something bad had happened. "Naruto… Sakura…," Kakashi began slowly. "I have some news to tell you…"_

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Now Sasuke had been transformed completely. His hair was purple, his eyes changed from Sharingan to a evil gold, and he had wings, fangs, and purple claws. His appearance truly was hideous, but dangerously powerful. Black marks marred his skin till, and they were pulsing. Sasuke lipped his upper lip in an evil manner, purple aura flowing in waves from his body.

Sakura shivered at the sight Sasuke had become in a matter of minutes. _'What's happened to him?' _Sakura thought, her mind clouded with worry for the raven-haired demon before her. She couldn't but feel slightly guilty. After all, he had gotten shot because he was trying to protect her, and because of getting shot he had transformed.

Sasuke took a step forward, and Tetsuki was still watching him in shock. Then in the blink of an eye Sasuke was in front of the man, and he picked him up from the neck, strangling him until he threw him to the wall like a rag doll. Sakura gasped from the massive strength when she heard bones crack from Sasuke's strong toss.

Tetsuki's neck had purple strangle marks, and from the cracks he probably broke a bone or more. The Haruno male tried to get up, but couldn't from the massive pain. Sasuke took no pity on him though.

He walked over, picking up the man and grinning at him sadistically. Oh yes, Uchiha Sasuke wanted blood shed, and lots of it. That look in his eyes stood out quickly. Sasuke threw him back down, and took a hold of Tetsuki's wrist, snapping it as though it were a twig, earning a pained scream from Tetsuki.

The scream echoed in Sakura's ears. Sasuke stepped cruelly on his legs, already bruising Tetsuki just from touching him. His claws scraped against his arms, and more blood flowed out. Sasuke licked his lips, eyes glreaming as he was partly satisfied. He lifted Tetsuki up yet again, this time from the collar of his shirt.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Sasuke whispered menacingly. He chuckled when he Tetsuki said nothing back. Or rather, he _couldn't _say anything back.

_'Sasuke-kun…!' _Sakura thought. Sasuke was torturing her father. He took Tetsuki's other wrist, snapped it, earning another scream of pain. Then he took Tetsuki's shoulder, and moved it so hard and so swift that it popped out of it's socket. The scream that came from Tetsuki was so loud, Sakura winced from the sound. Sasuke lifted him a few feet in the air, and dropped him, causing Tetsuki's leg to twist in an unnatural way.

Sasuke, still not satisfied, was about to return to torturing Tetsuki after he dropped him from a few feet, but Sakura's scream stopped him. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled. She forced her body, which was still shaking wildly from the massive violence she had just seen form her innocent jade green eyes, and yelled, "STOP IT!"

Sasuke didn't turn around, but did stop mid-movement just as he was bending down to pick up Tetsuki once again. Sakura forced her legs to carry her over to Sasuke, wrapping her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his back. "Stop it…" she whispered. "Why are you doing this?"

She felt Sasuke tense underneath her touch. Then, his wings began receding back into his back, black marks disappearing, his eyes regaining their original onyx color as fangs and claws also disappeared. Sasuke grunted from the feeling of just transforming back, and Sakura still grasped onto him tightly.

"Sakura…" Sasuke said, his voice barely audible. But Sakura heard it, and even though Sasuke knew he couldn't touch her, he let her cling on to him. After a few moments of silence, Sakura slowly let go, and she cautiously walked over to her unconscious father. She did the first thing that came to instinct and checked his pulse. He had one, but it was very faint.

But Sakura pushed that worry to the back of her mind. She turned around, stood up, this time in front of Sasuke. She looked straight into his eyes, even though his expression was stoic and his bangs covered his eyes. "Sasuke-kun," Sakura said quietly to him. "Look at me."

Sasuke, unwillingly, listened, looking down at the petite pink-haired girl. "What… what happened to you, Sasuke-kun? Why'd you…" Sakura couldn't continue her sentence. She had no idea how to describe what had just happened.

"I… protected you," Sasuke muttered. He looked at his hands, which were still covered with blood from the completely healed gunshot wound, and his mouth was firm shut.

"Sasuke-kun… tell me what's wrong," Sakura said in a gentle, slightly pleading voice.

Sasuke glanced at her, his eyes holding no emotion, and he mumbled. "I… lost control." He made a hissing sound. _'I could have hurt her…' _Sasuke thought._ 'I haven't lost control like that since I was alive with the curse seal…' _

He knew Sakura was going to say more, try to probe to find out why he lost control, but he didn't himself. "I'm… sorry," he mumbled. "I can't stay here." Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but he was gone before she could say anything.

She was alone, with the beaten up body of her father with her, and she was confused. "What… just happened?" she asked to no one in particular. She looked back at her father, and went to get the phone, to call for help.

**A/N:**** I'm being rushed off the computer, but I had to get this off. I'm sorry for taking a while to update, I updated this so you guys would know I'm not dead. Please read and review, hope you liked it !**


	13. Part XIII

**A/N:**** So very sorry for the late update. I seem to be doing that a lot lately. But here's the update! **

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_.

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. [SasuSaku

**Chapter 13 – Thinking Over Actions**

Sakura went as fast as her beaten up body would let her and went towards the phone. She dialed a number she already had memorized, waiting for the other line to pick up. "Hello?" a tired sounding voice said into the phone.

"Oh, Naruto! Thank goodness you're awake!" Sakura breathed into the phone, the feeling of relief washing over her. Hearing the female's voice awoke Naruto up instantly.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice suddenly alert now. His cerulean blue eyes took a quick glance at the clock—6 a.m. "Are you alright? Is there an emergency?! Do you need me to—" he paused, muttering a few things to himself, "—forget that, I'll just go get Tsunade-baachan—wait, did that bastard of a father hit you again?! Man, I'm going to kick his ass so hard that—"

"Naruto!" Sakura called in the phone to get her blond-haired friend out of the worrying panic he felt. "I'm fine, Naruto!" Naruto babbled on until he heard her second statement, calming down and muttering a quick "sorry" until he asked her why she had called him so early in the morning.

"Listen, Naruto, remember when I told you about Sasuke?" Sakura asked him in a sort of frantic voice. _I really don't have time to explain if he forgot, _Sakura thought, biting her lower lip as she waited for him to answer, praying that he remembered.

"Oh, you mean that guy that came from hell to help you, or some other crap like that? I thought he left?"

Sakura cocked her head to the side, still holding the phone closely to her ear. "I didn't tell you…—forget that. Yes, he came back Naruto—" She gasped when he felt her father groan, but he soon slipped away from consciousness. "—Listen, I don't have much time, Sasuke-kun saw my father abuse me, well, he didn't really _see _it but he saw the bruises and he got really pissed and I'm not really sure what happened but," her words had started to get fast and jumbled together, and she stopped to take a quick breath, "I'm not really sure what happened but Sasuke-kun's gone all of a sudden and my dad's almost dead and I need your help to get him over to the hospital!"

Naruto, who was sitting comfortably in his apartment, immediately stood up after hearing Sakura's ramble toward him. After thinking over what she was actually saying, she understood what she had said. "Don't worry Sakura-chan! I'll be over there in a second, just wait!" After that, Naruto clicked the phone and the line went dead.

Sakura still held the phone to her ear, breathing another sigh of relief. "Thank you Naruto," she spoke into the dead receiver.

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Naruto had come over in a few minutes—Sakura admiring the amazing stamina the boy had—and when Naruto took one look at the mangled body of Tetsuki, he cringed. "Wow, the asshole did this?" Sakura glared at Naruto for the use of profanity, but shook it off, just nodding. Naruto didn't bother to ask how, and heaved Tetsuki over his shoulder, heading out towards the door.

Naruto picked up his pace and started running whilst still holding Mr. Haruno as Sakura ran beside him. "Thanks so much for helping me with this, Naruto." Sincere gratitude was laced in her usual high voice.

Naruto gave her a side-glance, a sheepish grin forming on his whiskery face. "No problem Sakura-chan!" He took a quick glance at man he was holding, and in a steady voice, he asked, "Ne, Sakura-chan… what did this Sasuke-teme really do to this guy?"

Sakura visibly cringed as the memories flood back to her. "He did… some pretty horrible stuff, Naruto." Her voice had gotten noticeably quieter. "But… it wasn't his fault. He was just trying to… p-protect me." The blond-haired boy's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

By the time they had gotten to the hospital, Tetsuki's skin had started to get paler. _Oh my god, _Sakura thought. _He's dying. _Naruto burst inside the doors, yelling, "Hey! We need a doctor here fast!" His loud booming voice caught attention of nurses, and after taking one look at the Haruno male, immediately took him off Naruto's shoulders and on a stretcher, taking him to an emergency room.

"Alert Tsunade-sama!" Nurses hushed to other passing by nurses. Apparently, Tetsuki's wounds were so bad that he needed the care of the medical specialist Tsunade. Remembering he wasn't alone, he glanced over at Sakura, watching her jade green eyes follow the stretcher that lead to the emergency room.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto said to her. He took a glance over her body, and realization hit him in the head like a hammer as he saw her body wasn't in any better shape. "Sakura-chan, don't you feel pain?!" Sakura shot him a confused look, until she realized her body too was just beat up a few hours ago by her father, and then the pain hit her.

She clenched her teeth in pain, her mind not thinking of the pain till Naruto remind her of it, and another nurse came up to her and put Sakura on a stretcher following Naruto's call for help on taking care of the pink-haired girl before him. The nurse named Yuri took Sakura to another room, the room right next to her father's, and let her sit there. "Just stay here sweetie," Yuri, who wasn't much older than Sakura, gave her a gentle, genuine smile and left her, going to the room Tetsuki was in.

Naruto came in, with Tsunade trailing behind him, and stood by Sakura (she eventually moved herself on one of the white beds that were beside her) as Tsunade looked over Sakura's injuries. The blonde-haired woman clicked her tongue as she began healing Sakura's wounds. "Tsunade-shishou…" Sakura said quietly. "What about…" She didn't finish her sentence, instead, she nudged her head towards the next room.

"They don't need me right this minute, there are other doctors skilled enough to take care of him for now. Right now, my main priority is you, Sakura. What in the hell happened to you?" Tsunade gave her a hard look with her deep golden almond eyes. Naruto's tan skin paled slightly, thinking, _How are you going to explain it _this _time Sakura-chan? _Tsunade, seeing that Naruto was still there, looking at him. "Naruto, I need to talk to Sakura in private, can you go stand somewhere elsewhere?"

Naruto gave her a weird look, saying, "What for—?" But Tsunade cut him off, _ordering _him to step out for a moment. Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms and walked out, not wanting to upset the temper of Tsunade. After all, doing that would be like asking for an early death sentence.

"Alright Sakura," Tsunade told her once Naruto left the room. "Tell me what really happened."

"I…" Sakura paused, her clever mind thinking of a reasonable excuse. "I got in a fight with my father… well, he wasn't giving me a certain privilege, so I got a little overboard with it and started hitting me, and he was… hitting me back in 'self defense', and I guess I took it too far…"

It was clear on Tsunade's face that she didn't believe her. "Sakura, you and I both know that's _not _what happened, and I want you to start telling the truth. The _real _truth."

"Well—" Sakura opened her mouth, spoke the one word, and was going to continue until Naruto burst in, a nurse—which Sakura recognized as Yumi—by his side.

"Tsunade-sama! We need you in the next room!" Yumi told her frantically, and Sakura could see the gloves she wore that were covered in blood—her _father's_ blood. _So he had to go into surgery… _ Sakura thought absently. _**He must have considering the damages done to him. **__Yeah, but I don't know why the thought of it kind of bugs me… _

Naruto came in and took his place beside Sakura, and right before Tsunade left following Yumi, she took a quick glance at Sakura, muttering in a hushed tone, "We'll talk about this later." Sakura gulped down a lump in her throat, helplessly nodding as Tsunade turned around and left the room.

"That was _great _timing Naruto," Sakura said, letting out the breath she hadn't realize she'd been holding. 

Naruto gave her a cheeky grin, "I was still listening from outside the door." Sakura smiled at him, ruffling his sun-kissed blond hair as he smiled wider at her. "So Sakura-chan," Naruto asked, gazing at the bandages that adorned the pink-haired girl's petite body, "why did Sasuke-teme lose control?"

"I… really don't know," Sakura answered honestly. "I want to go find him, but I have no idea where he'd be…" She cast her emerald green gaze toward the door, fiddling her fingers before she looked back down at the hospital's cement ground. "Besides, I don't know if Tsunade-shishou will let me leave."

"Well, you're already healed, and Tsunade-baachan's said that you guys will 'talk about it later', so I guess you can leave whenever you feel like it. So let's leave now!" Sakura smiled, Naruto's logic making sense to her.

"Okay, let's get out of here," Sakura told him, and they both walked out of the room Sakura was in, heading towards the front desk, telling the receptionist that she was leaving, and before the woman could answer Naruto and Sakura were out the door.

"Okay, I'll search around the village, and you go back to your house and if he's not there, stay there till I get back to you," Naruto told her, and Sakura nodded, "I'll check the woods." It was 6:27 a.m., about a half hour after they had went to the hospital, and the early morning haze hung on the sky. Sakura followed Naruto's orders and they both separated.

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Sakura headed home, walking outside of Konoha and towards the woods as she made her way through the various trees until she saw her house. She took a breath as she continued forward, hoping that she would find Sasuke and get the explanation that she desperately wanted about his "out of control" state.

She didn't bother opening the door, since she just pushed it hard enough that it slammed. She picked up her pace, looking through the house everywhere she could look through. She looked in every room, under beds, in closets, in cupboards, any place she could find to examine.

She even looked through her father's room, a place she was **forbidden**to go to. Opening the drawers, checking under Tetsuki's place, ignoring the fact that the place smelled like smoke and alcohol even though it made her nose wrinkle every few seconds.

The last place she checked was her room, and she looked everywhere. Tearing through her bed sheets, spreading out the clothes in her closet, her wide jade green eyes looking at everything they could see. "Damn it Sasuke-kun, where are you?" Sakura whispered harshly under her breath.

She walked towards the kitchen, scooting a chair outward and sitting in it so that she was at the side of the table. Placing her had upon it, her fingernails clicked against the wood as she began to get impatient. _Naruto, where are you? What's taking you so long? _She convinced herself to calm down, since it _was _the whole village he was searching through, and even someone with Naruto's stamina wouldn't be able to do it in ten minutes.

Her stomach churned with uncertainty. _Why did Sasuke-kun leave? It wasn't like… does he think it's his fault that he lost control? Because if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have… _Her lower lip began to tremble, and she bit it to keep it still. _This is all my fault… _

Deciding not to wait for Naruto to show up like he had told her to, Sakura got up and walked towards the door, opening it and shutting it behind her as she looked at the woods that surrounded her house. With determined green orbs, she walked through the woods, looking everywhere for the raven-haired demon.

Sakura passed by bushes and trees of the forest. Everything around her was either a dark wood brown or a leafy vivid green. Soon she recognized the path, seeing that it was the same place she was picking medical herbs for Tsunade a long while ago, also remembering how Sasuke had reappeared near her.

_She rubbed her back over the bruise where her father had shoved her. She winced as she made her way towards the forest Tsunade had told her to go to. "Oh, did Sakura get hurt in my absence?" Sakura heard a familiar smooth voice say. She looked at her surroundings, all she saw were trees. Deciding it was just her imagination, she continued her task._

_"It's rude to ignore someone Sa-ku-ra." Sakura nearly jumped when she looked up and saw Sasuke standing in front of her, his arms over his well-formed chest._

_ "S-Sasuke-kun! What're you doing here? And what do you mean 'absence'? Where were you?" _

_Sasuke chuckled, "My, my, so many questions."_

_Sakura took a deep breath, "Where were you?" she asked calmly, slowly resuming to her previous task._

_ "I…had business to take care of." The raven-haired demon answered coolly._

The thought played vividly in her mind, and she clearly remembered his low but deep rich voice. She was so used to his presence, and she hadn't even realized it yet. Which was why she was currently wondering why she was going through so much hassle just looking for one raven-haired demon.

_"Sa-ku-ra," _she heard a familiar husky voice behind her. Sakura nearly jumped from the voice, and she wasn't sure if it was out of happiness or if it was out of shock. After all, she hadn't even heard anyone else with her, especially not anyone behind her.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, I'm so glad I found—!" She turned around, a smile on her face until it diminished just as fast as it appeared. _This man… _Sakura thought, _he's not Sasuke-kun. _The man before her had the same silky raven hair, same pale face, same muscular body, even similar voice as well. But, Sakura knew, that it wasn't Sasuke.

Their was something about his eyes. His eyes weren't the deep onyx color Sakura was used to seeing on Sasuke, even though they were a dark crimson that she had seen Sasuke with a few times. No, there was something about his eyes… something that gave her a weird feeling at the pit of her stomach.

Ah, now she knew. His eyes were _sinister._

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_"Well, it seems our 'precious Sasuke-kun' couldn't seem to keep his watch over the girl," the leader of Akatsuki said, his tone deadly calm. "What a shame indeed… it looks like we're going to have to teach him a lesson about disobeying the rules…"_

_"And how do you wish to do that?" Sasori asked with the same calm tone. _

_"Itachi, why don't you go give the girl a 'friendly' visit? It would only get Sasuke a better chance to get out of the doomed hell he's forced to be in." The leader's tone was completely laced with sarcasm._

_Itachi smirked, his crimson blood eyes flashing dangerously of Mangenkyou Sharingan. He silently agreed, after all, he wasn't done torturing his little brother in hell _just_ yet…_

**A/N:**** Hmm, is it bad that I left the ending there? Well, yeah. If you haven't figured out who the person in front of Sakura is… well, you'll find out next chapter. Even though I made it painfully obvious. At first, I was just going to leave it where she sees the eyes. But I guess I felt I owe you guys more. So I hope this chapter makes up for it, even though I understand if it wouldn't, and also, check my profile because I made an important note for you guys to see.**

**Okay, so READ AND REVIEW please!  
**


	14. Part XIV

**A/N:**** Happy late Thanksgiving[Be sure to read the IMPORTANT note on the bottom of this chapter.  
**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_.

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. [SasuSaku

**Chapter 14 – Rescue?**

The forest trees ruffled as the wind blew by. The demon called Sasuke sat on a rock near a lake deep in the forest, eyeing ruefully at his reflection in the clear water every now and then. His fist clenched until his knuckles grew white then unclenched, repeating this pattern commonly. _Damn it…! _he thought. _How could I let myself lose control like that?_

He gritted his teeth, his eyebrows pulling together in an angry scowl. Only the weak and vulnerable lose themselves. Him, once being a great and noble Uchiha (being dead, he had lost the title) should be expected to have more power than what he had displayed mere moments ago. He had brought shame to his family name!

He could have hurt the girl too. _That would've blown my shot at ever getting back into heaven… _Sasuke noted. Then realization dawned him. _Why aren't I with her now? _So many possible dangers ran through his mind. _Her father could have woken up and—__No, I beat him too much to be conscious for the next few hours… or days…_

Either way, he was breaking one of the rules and that was by just not being at her side in case any danger (not that he could think of a specific one right now) would befall the girl. He stood up abruptly, thinking of the logical place where Sakura would be. It clicked in his head: her home, of course. That was where he had left her, after all.

Without a second thought, Sasuke disappeared with the full intention of finding Sakura.

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A brief silence took place between the stranger and Sakura. A cold wind rushed passed and Sakura shivered, but she couldn't tell if it was because of the cold air or the deep fear welling up in the pit of her stomach. "Wh-Who are you? Why are you h-here?" asked Sakura, mentally slapping herself for stuttering. She could tell, just by looking at the face of this stranger, that she was staring death in the face. "What do you want?!" she yelled, her rising panic getting the better of her.

Itachi clicked his tongue. "My, my, so many questions." Sakura only tensed at the familiar voice. So, so close to Sasuke's, it was almost as though they were related somehow.

"Answer my questions," Sakura said in the best calm tone she could do. A shiver went up her spine when the man in front of kept the same calm expression.

"Is the name 'Sasuke' familiar with you?" asked the older Uchiha, monotone. He knew that behind Sakura's impassive—or what was attempted to be impassive—face that she knew what he was talking about. Itachi glanced around the surroundings visibly, feigning the look that he was actually trying to look for Sasuke. "Looks like he abandoned you…" Itachi continued.

Sakura's blood boiled at the comment as she decided whether or not to answer. After a few moments of silence, she responded. "How do you know him?"

Itachi chuckled at that. "That does not matter. You don't know where he is, do you?" Sakura slowly shook her head.

Her emerald eyes grew as the thought hit her. "You know where he is, don't you? Tell me!" Itachi shook his head, to Sakura's dismay, the amused grin still plastered on his face.

"Unfortunately for you," he said in a smooth pitch, "I don't know where he is." He took a few steps toward her, causing the girl in reflex to take steps back. An all too well habit for whenever her father would start toward her. "You're used to pain, aren't you girl?" Sakura didn't answer, but it made no difference. Itachi already knew the answer. "Then, this won't hurt _too_ much."

Using inhumane speed, he proceeded towards her. Grasping her neck in a death grip, her lifted her very light body off the ground. She was so fragile to him that one little squeeze to any part of her body and she would break to pieces. _Hmm,_ thought the raven-haired man. _I think I'll have fun with this one._

The last thing Sakura remembered was staring into the spinning black pupils of blood red eyes.

-

-

-

Sasuke tore through the house. Every location he could see was thoroughly searched through. "Damn it, where is she?" he muttered under his breath to himself. _How could I be so stupid?_ he scolded himself. _She's probably in the village. _Easily going into his human form, he left the house with incredible speed and headed towards Konohagakure.

His onyx orbs moved from left to right as they searched for the pink-haired girl. His long legs to broad, quick steps and he scanned the city. Not paying any attention to the people around him, he continued his search. It wasn't until he realized he had hit the floor that Sasuke was brought back to his senses. "What the hell?" he said aloud, quickly getting up as he noticed another boy around his age across from him and on the ground as well.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" the boy yelled.

The raven-haired demon scowled, scoffing. "Speak for yourself."

The obnoxious blond glared. "What'd you say you basta—" Naruto closed his mouth, his cerulean blue eyes widening. "Wait a minute, you're—"

"—Leaving," Sasuke interjected. He turned on his heel and continued walking until—

"Sasuke!"

The name caused him to freeze on his next step. _What the hell? How does this dobe know my name? _Sasuke turned around, dark eyes narrowed ominously at Naruto.

The said boy grinned victoriously. "That's your name, isn't it?" Again, Sasuke did not answer. "Sakura-chan's been looking _everywhere_ for you! But… for a guy like _you_? A rude bastard like yo—?"

"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke asked, his tone annoyed.

Naruto continued to grin sheepishly. "What, I know your name but you don't know mine? Huh, and here I thought Sakura-chan was bragging about how great I am…!" Sasuke continued his narrowed gaze, ignoring the fact that Naruto had continued to talk. He remembered a name that Sakura kept on bringing up. Ah, now he knew. _Naruto_.

"Being the great future Rokudaime I thought Sakura-chan would have at least more respect to at least_mention _me, but I guess—"

"Oi, dobe. Naruto." Sasuke said, his expression impassive.

Naruto stopped his mindless chatter, his sheepish grin returning to his face. "Oh, so she _did_ mention me! That's good, I thought—!"

"Where is she?"

Naruto blinked. "Where's who?" Sasuke growled at the answer. "Oh, you mean Sakura-chan!" The raven-haired demon deeply restrained the urge to pummel the annoying idiot before him. "Well, she should be back at her house, I don't see why she wouldn't be there, I told her specific orders not to leave…" and the mindless chatter from Naruto resumed.

_At the house?_ thought Sasuke. _She wasn't there, and she's not here. Then she must be… _The thought clicked in his mind. _The forest._ He turned to leave, causing Naruto to bring up the question, "Hey, where are you going?!"

Sasuke didn't bother to answer. Instead he ran towards the direction of the forest. Naruto, not wanting to be left behind, followed immediately as best as he could. "Hey, slow down! You're going too fast!" yelled the blond. "Man, it's like you're not human or something!" Sasuke ignored the last comment. The verdant grass, the leaves, the twigs, the trees—everything was a blur in the speed Sasuke was going.

He had a sixth sense that Sakura was in grave danger hinting at the back of his mind.

-

-

-

Sakura coughed more blood as she hit the ground for what felt like the millionth time that day. Itachi held no remorse in the horrific beating he had been giving her, no trace of emotion on his perfect face. He _was_ the Angel of Death to her. He had a sadistic side to him but it was a controlled side. Every time she would screech out in pain Sakura could see the twisted pleasure behind Itachi's lifeless face.

The illusion Itachi had sent her to from the power of his Mangenkyou Sharingan was an unimaginable place—even worse than hell. Because she was already _in_ a living hell, the illusion had no mercy on her. Deaths, so much blood, so much crushing and twisting of body parts in ways not humanly possible, the most sickest things ever done by humans and non-living human creatures (Demons, she assumed)—all and much more she had seen inflicted on those she loved and she had felt on herself. Her mind, so scarred from the experience, had reacted in making her body completely numb, not allowed the pink-haired maiden to even attempt to defend herself.

Yes, she knew she was going to die. She had stopped resisting the pain for she knew her death was inevitable. She just waited patiently until she would be brought out of her pain and misery. She greeted the thought of death with open arms.

She heard the light footsteps of Itachi as he sauntered towards her. He yanked her up by her upper arm, tossing her against a tree. Her head hit the dark brown bark with a loud _thud_ as the action caused her vision to blur. Itachi gave her a hard punch to the side of her face.

Sakura's expression was stoic giving Itachi the impression that her body had completely given up on its will to fight back and defend itself. Although this bored the beating immensely, the Uchiha still enjoyed her blank look as he literally broke her to pieces.

The pink-haired girl's eyes drooped to a close until they tried in vain to open when they heard more than one person's pair of footsteps. Using most of the strength left in her mangled body to open her eyes, she noticed (through her blurred vision) someone with raven and blond hair. The minute she saw the blond, one name ran through her mind. _Naruto_.

Sasuke had appeared first. The sight of the distorted carcass of Sakura made him fume. His teeth gritted so tight you could hear the scratching sound created. Seeing his very own brother, _knowing_ he was the one that did this, sent him into hellish fury. Immediately black wings sprouted from his back, blood spurting out in the process. Fangs and purple claws emerged as his dark raven hair grew and changed to a violet shade.

His eyes had gone from its original onyx tone to a viscous gold. Black marks stained his skin as a mauve color aura enveloped him. Sasuke bent his fingers as his knuckles cracked, his face in a deep scowl. "_Itachi_," he growled out.

Naruto had come a few minutes later. "Sakura-chan!" Naruto's loud voice pierced through the cold air. His cerulean blue eyes searched for the girl he was looking for, widening as big as saucers when they had found her. "SAKURA-CHAN!" He rushed to the girl, picking up her idle body that had simply lied on the ground. He put his arm behind her shoulders and the other arm over her shoulders, lifting her upper body up. Deep worry filled Naruto's eyes. "Sakura-chan, say something! Open your eyes, move, do _something_!"

The aura that surrounded Sasuke crackled with loathing. "You sick twisted bastard," muttered Sasuke in a low, deep voice. Itachi remained impassive, causing Sasuke's rage for the man before him grow.

Itachi's eyes averted to Sakura's corpse. Slowly, a smirk spread against his face. "Perhaps if you had let go of those useless emotions of yours, that girl would still be alive."

Sasuke, blinded by his fury, lunged at the older Uchiha.

The instant Sasuke had moved, Itachi vanished. Sasuke's feet skidded against the ground as he came to a halt nearby a tree. His fist clenching tightly, he punched the nearby tree. "Damn it…!" he snarled. The tree bent over from the strong force.

While that event had happened, Naruto had over and over again trying to wake the pink-haired girl.

"Sakura-chan, move! Do something! Don't go to the light!" Naruto shook the girl's body. "Damn it, open your eyes!" Sweat trickled down the side of his face when he saw her skin grow even paler. When the blond had heard the hard collision of the tree on the ground, he looked up noticing Sasuke fuming silently.

"Hey, you! Don't just sulk there, we have to help Sakura-chan!" When Sasuke did not budge, Naruto's frustration grew. "She could be _dying_! Help her, DAMN IT!" Still, the raven-haired demon did not move. Naruto, giving a frustrated growl, picked up Sakura bridal style.

"Fine," Naruto muttered. "If you won't help her, I will." Without a second thought, Naruto bolted towards Konoha as fast as his legs would carry him.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he felt the gush of wind hit him as Naruto left. _"If you won't help her, I will." _The very sentence rang through his mind. _Help her, help her, help her, __**help her. **_Black wings absorbed back into his back. His claws and fangs reduced themselves to their normal length. Gold eyes returned to endless onyx as purple hair was restored to its spiky raven form.

Using his great swiftness, Sasuke sprinted down the direction Naruto had headed.

Within a few seconds, he had caught up to the boy, halting his tracks. Naruto, having almost collided into the raven-haired demon, came to a loud stop. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he yelled.

"Give her to me." It wasn't a question, but a command.

"And why the hell would I do that?" Naruto bellowed.

The Uchiha furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you want to save this girl's life or not?"

"Of course I do! That's why I'm going to the hospital!" Naruto sprinted towards Konoha again after he had finished his sentence.

Sasuke easily kept up with him. "I'll get her there faster."

Naruto eyed him warily. "Why the hell do you care what happens to her?"

Sasuke glared at him, his impatience growing. "That doesn't matter." Naruto debated the decision as he ran. _He is pretty fast, _he thought. He looked down at the girl in his arms. Frowning, he stopped, his arms out.

Sasuke nodded, understanding his decision. Taking Sakura from Naruto's hands, he disappeared in a gust of dust.

_You better live, Sakura-chan!_ Naruto thought as he started running again.

-

-

-

Naruto had come a good five minutes later to the hospital. "Quick, where's Sakura-chan's room?!" he shouted.

The brunette nurse quieted him. "Lower your voice, this is a hospital!" she yelled to him in a whisper. "Sakura's in an operation right now." She pointed her finger towards another room. "You'll have to wait in the waiting room." Naruto nodded rapidly and went towards the room the nurse had pointed at.

When he opened the door, he wasn't as surprised to find Sasuke there already waiting. His eyes were closed and his arms were crossed in front of his chest. Sasuke opened one of his eyes when he heard the door open but closed it again when he saw the blond-haired boy.

"Have say said anything yet?" Naruto asked quietly. Sasuke shook his head, causing Naruto to sigh. Silence befell the room.

About ten minutes later, the silence was broken with the sound of a door hinge moving. Both boys looked up to see the blonde Godaime standing in the room.

"Ah, Naruto, of course you came," Tsunade said softly.

Naruto jumped out of his seat. "Tsunade-baachan, how is she?! Is she alive?!" Tsunade blinked her golden almond eyes.

"She is alive," Tsunade replied.

Naruto let out a heavy sigh, relieved as he sank back in his seat. "That's great! I knew Sakura-chan was stronger than that, after all she is—hey, baachan, aren't you happy? Why are you frowning like that?!"

Tsunade blinked once again. "Because, Naruto. She _is _alive, yes. But…" The healer hesitated, trying to find a way to explain. As Sasuke saw this, a scowl set on his features.

The suspense was eating away at the blond. "Just spit it out already! I hate all this suspense!" Tsunade tapped her pen a few times at her clipboard, sighing inaudibly.

"Sakura is in a coma."

**A/N:**** You probably all want to hit me with a million tomatoes. I mean, WOW. Four (or five) months since I last updated! I'm sure you all hate me:( Well, just so you know I'm not happy about it either.**

**The good news is I think I'm starting to get my writing mojo back! And I have an ****Important Note**** for you all: READ. MY. PROFILE. **

**You see, I have an "update status" part and I even put the date my profile is updated with a little note. That little note usually explains why I haven't updated or other things like I am working on an update but it might not come out soon. The "update status" shows you (divided usually into four parts) how much completed I am of the next chapter of a certain story. Also, there is a note that says "Next to be updated?" in parenthesis next to a certain story title, and that's a little hint which update I plan on making next. **

**Just thought you should know. Thanks for taking the time to read my long author's note, and remember,****Read and Review!**

**Really, if it weren't for reviews, I wouldn't be bothering to take time out of my busy schedule to write these stories for you guys since now, my schedule really is hectic.**


	15. Part XV

**A/N:**** Wow, 5 or 6 months late. Extra long chapter for such a long wait. Sorry!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Naruto_.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Sacrifices**

"What?! She's in a coma?!" yelled Naruto. His mouth gaped at what his ears had just heard, not wanting to believe it. And just when I thought she was okay… thought the boy, his hopes crushing slowly.

_So she's alive, but— _"That means she still has a possibility of dying," stated Sasuke, continuing his thought aloud nonchalantly, even though his lower abdomen was twisting with guilt. Because he wasn't there to protect Sakura, the girl he was supposed to protect, she could die. He would lose someone that had grown important to him, having had relations with her in his human life, and having had relations with her in his demon life. He would also lose his opportunity to regain life again. All because he let his emotions get the better of him. Sasuke cursed under his breath, his fist clenching.

"She-She could… die?" Naruto was exasperated. He had known Sakura ever since they were very young, and she was his best friend. She was the first person that gave him a chance and didn't shun him for rumors floating around the village. Someone that precious was the last thing he wanted to lose.

"I did everything I could," Tsunade stated. "But the injuries she has are something that are not humanly possible. I couldn't even bear to imagine what she went through." Tsunade's golden almond orbs averted from her clipboard to the floor. Then they looked at both Sasuke and Naruto. "Do you boys see what happened to Sakura when you found her?"

Just as Naruto opened his mouth to speak—to explain that he had seen a man with a ponytail leave just before he found Sakura—Naruto was elbowed harshly in his side. The blond lost his breath and Sasuke spoke instead.

"We didn't see anything. We just found her there."

Naruto looked at him, bewildered that he would lie. He opened his mouth to speak again, but the blond saw from his peripheral vision that Sasuke was giving him a side-glance with his eyes, and in those dark onyx orbs Naruto could tell the demon was saying to him, "Don't try to explain to her what happened, she'd probably think you're crazy."

Meanwhile Tsunade looked suspiciously between the two boys.

"If there's something you two are hiding, you better tell me before I find out," she told them threateningly.

Sasuke had no emotion on his pale face from her threat. Naruto looked at the Godaime and slowly closed his opened mouth. "I… forgot what I was going to say," a typical-Naruto comment as he gave a light goofy smile, despite the serious moment, to relieve the thick tension in the air.

"How long will she be unconscious?" Sasuke asked, arms still folded across his chest tightly.

Tsunade sighed, hitting her pen against her clipboard once again_. Tap. Tap. Tap._

"I'm not sure," she answered the raven-haired demon. "Her injuries were grave, had it been a moment too late and if I hadn't be here, I honestly don't think she would have made it. You brought her just in time."

Sasuke growled, "You don't know when she's going to awaken?"

Tsunade scowled at his tone. "It's hard to tell from her injuries. It all depends on how fast her body can heal."

A moment of silence had taken place until the raven-haired demon had spoken up once again. "Where is she?" Naruto looked at him confused.

Tsunade blinked her almond eyes. "Visiting hours aren't at this time, I just finished her surgery and she needs time to recuperate." Then the blonde Hokage raised a delicate eyebrow. "And just who are you anyway? I'm certain I've never seen you in the village before."

"Oh, he's—he's uh… a friend! A family friend of Sakura-chan's," Naruto told her. "He's just visiting her."

"A family friend huh?" Tsunade pursed her lips together in a tight line. "Fine, you can see her. But only for a few minutes, got it? She needs her rest." Sasuke nodded.

"Hey, why can't I come too? I care for Sakura-chan too you know!"

The Hokage looked at Naruto. "You can visit her tomorrow, Naruto, or any other day. Her family friend only has a limited time to see her"—she sent her golden gaze to Sasuke—"isn't that right?" The raven-haired demon gave her a quick nod back.

The blond boy could feel Sasuke's eyes burning a whole in his back, knowing that the demon didn't want Naruto being there during his "visit." Deciding to trust him, no matter how much Naruto didn't want to, he folded his arms over his chest and mumbled a fast, "Fine."

Tsunade gave a small smile at Naruto's small show of maturity as she turned on her heel. "Follow me," she called with her back facing the Uchiha. Sasuke got up, taking long strides to catch up with her.

They walked down the white hallway of Konoha's hospital as silence befell the area. Only the sounds of footsteps could be heard as it echoed throughout the halls. When Tsunade stopped in front of a door, she opened it slowly and cautiously. Looking at Sasuke, she gave him a serious look. "You have five minutes," the Godaime informed him.

_More time than I need,_ Sasuke said to himself. "Hn," he replied back. When Sasuke walked inside, Tsunade closed the door behind him.

Sakura lay on the hospital bed with bandages covering every part of her body, besides her face. Her distinct pink hair was sprawled around her face with long, wavy strands. Her skin was as white as the sheets below her. Her rosy lips were slightly parted, her chest heaving up and down slowly as she breathed. Despite the state she was in physically, Sasuke couldn't help but think that she looked almost heavenly as she lay on the bed, arms at her sides.

His arms slowly formed into crimson red Sharingan. He had learned a trick from Itachi after his death, a trick that allowed you see the life span and name of any human on Earth. The trick did not take that much effort either, and Itachi had shared the certain piece of information specifically after Sasuke's death, knowing that he would have no use for it. Cruelty, even after death.

As Sasuke's tomoes spun, he looked at Sakura without blinking his eyes for a few moments. _There_, he said in his mind when he saw the red numbers above Sakura's head just below her name. Her life span had showed him that she was expected to die…

…at the age of 17.

"Kuso," cursed the demon underneath his breath. _She's dying._

-

**WHOOSH!**

-

Sasuke stood, face to face with the members of Akatsuki on their high pedestals.

He gave a heavy scowl, growling, "What the fuck do you want?"

"Looks like your chances have ran out," Akatsuki's leader, Pein, stated ominously. An evil smirk formed on his features. "Welcome back."

"That's not for you to decide," Sasuke snapped back, glaring at the man.

"Don't push your luck, kid," Kisame spat at the arrogant brat he saw before him. "Heaven isn't always as forgiving."

"He has a point, yeah," spoke Deidara with a nod of his head at the word "yeah." "They gave you rules, and I don't think they have it in them to break it, un. They're not much of rule breakers." He ended his comment with a chuckle.

Sasuke scowled, clenching his teeth.

"Heaven wants a word with you," Konan chimed in calmly.

Just then a bright light shone, so bright that it seemed blinding. The raven-haired demon bent his neck upwards, dark onyx orbs squinting from the dazzling beam. He blinked, and before he knew it he was in a place where everything was a shining white color.

The aura was light and pure, unlike the heavy sensation of evil and hatred of the surrounding atmosphere of hell. In front of him he could see Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage (the Third Hokage), along with the Hashirama Senju, the Shodaime (the First Hokage), the Nidaime (the Second Hokage), Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime (the Fourth Hokage).

"Ah, Uchiha, we've been expecting you," announced the first Hokage.

"You know you've broken your chances," chimed in the Second.

Sasuke kept his gaze hard and firm. His lips were set in a grim line. "I want a deal," he announced. All the noble men glanced at him curiously.

"A deal, you say?" Sarutobi asked. "What proposition do you wish to make?"

"The girl—Sakura—is… dying," The demon continued, finding some difficulty in saying the last word. However the men's faces across from him continued to remain blank yet thoughtful. After all, they always knew when a new soul would be joining their heaven, or whether a new soul would be doomed to the pits of hell.

"You know there is nothing you can do about that," said the Yondaime.

"I want a deal," stated Sasuke once again. "Take my life in replace for hers."

"Your life?" inquired the First. "You are already dead, hence you don't have a life to give."

"Unless," added Sarutobi, "you intend to offer your opportunity for a second life in exchange for her life to go on."

The Uchiha's eyebrows furrowed, but he kept his stare strong. His mouth was closed tight, not one word escaping his mouth for a few moments of calm silence. "I'll offer it," he said after moments of time. "In exchange for her life, I won't gain a second life."

"Are you sure about this?" Minato asked. "Why are you willing to risk it just for this girl? We told you not to fall in love with her."

Dark onyx orbs flashed. "I didn't."

"Then why the request?"

The Uchiha remained silent, his eyes narrowing as his mouth remained firmly shut, set in a thin line.

"Too bad too," Minato added. "Her father is dying, so all you needed was for him to die to become alive once again. However, Sakura would still die nonetheless—"

"I don't care," interrupted the raven-haired demon, his teeth gritting. "I don't care that I'm losing a second life. Just make sure hers goes on."

"If that's what you wish, then the deal shall be made," Sarutobi spoke. "You may go now, Sasuke."

The said person made no movement, merely vanished into thin air, back to the pits of hell where he was damned for eternity.

The Four Hokages glanced along one another. "His devotion to her is quite strong," pointed out Sarutobi.

"However he was not supposed to fall in love with her," chimed the Nidaime.

"True, but love and care are two different things," Yondaime added.

"But we made a deal with him, did we not?" Hashirama said.

After that statement, silence befell the holy area. The men were quiet and thoughtful, not another word about the subject mentioned afterwards as time passed on. Then, someone spoke.

"Shouldn't we offer him a chance to say goodbye?" Minato asked. "I'm sure Sakura would be wondering where he went, when she regains consciousness."

"Well, we should keep our end of the bargain," said Sarutobi, and with a snap of his fingers, a miracle was performed and Sakura's life was restored.

-

-

-

When the Uchiha reappeared, confusion entered his mind when he found himself surrounded by the snow-white walls of the hospital room. He heard the beeping of a machine, his eyes averting to the device that was connected to Sakura's heart, keeping her steady heartbeat in rhythm.

His sleek eyebrows furrowed. He was expecting the fiery pits of hell to greet him in his return. What was he doing here, when he had given up his chance at a second life by protecting this girl?

"_You have been given an opportunity to say goodbye to her," _Sarutobi's voice rang in his head. _"You must tell her you are leaving and not coming back. After all, you were damned to hell for eternity Uchiha, and gave up the opportunity to break your doomed sentence in exchange for your second life. And as promised, she is alive." _Sasuke was wary of this fact, but then the voice went on. _"Use your Sharingan to see for yourself. I know you wouldn't believe something unless you saw it with your own two eyes." _

And so, following the old man's command, onyx orbs transformed into deep blood red eyes as tomoes swirled rapidly inside. He saw her name, and below her name in red was her lifespan, which revealed that her dying age was no longer 17, but in her late 70s. Deactivating his Sharingan, he closed his eyes. The voice continued.

"_No time has passed since the time you have left. We have made sure of that. The five minutes Tsunade had granted you are still there, so use your time wisely." _And with that, the voice in Sasuke's mind was no more.

The Uchiha's eyelids hooded over his eyes, making his shady obsidian orbs seem like an endless pitch of black. Everything felt numb to him, the beeps of Sakura's slow but steady heartbeat from the machine echoed in his ears, pounding the sound in his eardrums. _She's alive…_ he thought solemnly.

His arms folded across his chest, his eyelids still drooped over as he leaned against the pallid, colorless wall. Slowly his eyes moved forward, noting how Sakura's breaths were slow and even. Her pastel pink locks were still in long waves as they cascaded down the sallow bed sheets of the hospital. Her skin was white as snow, and yet it seemed to slowly be regaining color.

He got off the wall, taking a few steps with his long strides to make his way to the side of her bed. He looked down at her with a blank gaze. _Humans are so fragile, _he thought. After all, as a demon it took much to bring him down. It had been years since he was human, making him forget what it was like.

His eyes averted to the clock. A minute had passed, he noticed. Time flew very slowly, or at least to Sasuke it felt that way. He could sense the presence of Tsunade near the door. After all, it was only five minutes, she wouldn't have to leave and come back when she could merely stay where she was. After all, five minutes wasn't that long of a time.

Sasuke's charcoal eyes widened slightly when he noticed movement coming from the body in front of him. Her mouth parted slightly, a weak groan escaping her lips. Slowly brilliant emerald green orbs fluttered open. Her eyes shone brightly with life as her vision blurred. All she could see was she stared upwards was white, mixed with blue and black.

Her body groggily came to life as she forced some movement in her arms and legs. Sakura's eyes came to a close, feeling a migraine entering her mind. However, after feeling a cooling hand placed upon her forehead (which was when she noticed she was sweating slightly), the migraine quickly faded as quick as it came.

Her gaze reopened once again, meeting a blurred vision. Her eyes squinted, trying to get a clear view. Still, all she saw was blue, black, and white.

"Sa… Sasuke…?" her voice called weakly, absent-mindedly. To her ears, her voice sounded hoarse.

"Aa," he responded softly.

She moved her arms, trying to bring herself to sit up right. When the pink-haired girl had gotten her palms flat on the sheets of her bed, she managed to sit up slightly before her arms gave out on her, causing her to collapse back onto the soft mattress.

"You shouldn't move so much."

To her frustration, her vision still had not come back. All she could see were blurs. "Where's… where's Tsunade-shishou… Naruto…"

"They're near," he answered her. He noticed her irises weren't clear, and a frown marred his handsome face. "Sakura, can you see?"

"I—… no…" His eyes narrowed, dissatisfied at her answer. Then he remembered what Tsunade had spoken earlier.

"_Her injuries were grave, had it been a moment too late and if I hadn't be here, I honestly don't think she would have made it."_

_These must be side effects of her healing, _he concluded. _Damn that Itachi…_

"Sasuke…" He escaped his thoughts at the sound of his name. "What… what happened…? Why can't I see?"

"You'll regain your sight eventually," he told her. However, as for her other question, he did not bother to answer it. It was best if she never knew what happened, he decided.

She nodded numbly at his response. His eyes averted to the clock. Five minutes had well passed. And no interruption from Tsunade, telling him his time was up? He decided not to ponder the thought, remembering he had a task to do. When he opened his mouth to speak again however, her voice cut him off.

"Where's my father?" Little flashes hit her mind. "Is he—is he alive?" She bit the inside of her mouth. Sakura didn't know how she would react to either response.

"He's dying," he told her. She had already been half expecting that answer, since she remembered what he looked like as her and Naruto brought him in.

"I figured," she responded. All of a sudden, it felt as if a huge burden had been lifted on her shoulders. She breathed a little easier now, however it was still a shaky exhale of air. _But… where will I live now? _she thought. _I'm still a minor, so I can't live by myself. I'll probably stay with Naruto—_ After all, Naruto was a year older than her, meaning he was already 18, and allowed by law to be on his own and leave Jariaya's caretaking.

"Sakura," he called to her, bringing her out of her thoughts. She moved her head towards his direction.

"How are you feeling?" he inquired monotonously.

The girl let out a heavy sigh, turning her head in her bed. "I feel like I'm dying…" she mumbled, her blurred vision not showing her Sasuke had flinched slightly at her statement. "But I think I'll be alright."

Silence befell the room. The pink-haired girl frowned. It was quiet, too quiet for her liking. "Sasuke…?" Her eyes were open, trying her hardest to get a view of the demon. "Is there something wrong?" Her heartbeat immediately raced. Was there something wrong with her body or her face? She may have blurry vision, but Sakura could still recognize the pallid walls of the hospital. After all, she spends many hours in the place every day.

Her response was more silence, and her heartbeat quickened even more. Sasuke could hear the machine keeping her pulse race faster, the beeps pounding against his eardrums. "Sasuke-kun, say something," she spoke again, her voice almost seeming desperate. She hated being kept in the suspense.

The Uchiha's mouth opened, releasing an inaudible sigh.

"I'm leaving," he announced.

She moved her head towards his direction. "Leaving?" she repeated, blinking her jade green orbs. "Okay, I'll see you later, then."

"No," he shot back. "I'm not coming back."

Her face twisted with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm done here. Your father is dying; I'm no longer needed."

Sakura shut her eyes tight, opening them once again. "That doesn't mean you have to leave!"

"You don't have a say in the matter," said the raven-haired demon. "It's already been decided, and they don't go back on their word."

"Who decided it?" She met an eerie silence. She propped herself up on her elbows before she managed to get herself sitting upright fully. Shaky legs met the cold floor of the hospital as she tried to stand up. As she took a step forward, blurred vision guiding her, she stumbled forward. Her eyes shut in reflex as she expected to meet the ground. Instead, she felt herself caught in strong, yet icy arms. She looked up, seeing his pale features looking down at her. "Answer me!"

"It doesn't matter," he answered briskly.

He felt her arms cling to the front of him tightly. "I don't want you to go!"

His teeth ground against his molars. "Don't make this difficult," he murmured quietly. After all, it was not like he wanted to leave. He was leaving to a place that would torture him endlessly for perpetuity, and who would go there willingly?

In a flash he had distanced himself from Sakura a good few yards away. Her pale, malnourished figure collapsed on the floor, losing the support of his arms. A dark portal opened behind him. He took a few steps backwards until he was one step away from the gateway.

"Why do you have to leave?" she choked out, a single tear uncontrollably slipping down her cheek.

"Because I have to," he answered her. He turned around, facing the sinister portal. "Oi, Sakura," he called over his shoulder. Her neck craned up to look at him, her palms on the ground as her body shook. He took a step forward, his body vanishing along with the portal.

"Happy Birthday."

* * *

**A/N:**** Yep, he left. Again. And will he come back this time? Nope. Or… will he? Will Heaven go back on their word, an irony since they are full of integrity? Just some questions for you to think about, haha.**

**You have no idea how badly I've been wanting to get this out. Eh, but I feel like it's not the best I could give you. I'm sorry guys. **

**You have no idea how brain racking (if that's even a word) it was trying to keep Sasuke in character at the end part, or at least **_**trying **_**to. **

**And just imagine for the sake of imagination that the day is March 28****th****, or whenever Sakura's birthday is. I just thought that'd fit in kind of nicely, but I don't know why.**

**Read and Review! Sorry about the six month delay. :(**


	16. Part XVI

**A/N:**** Happy 4****th**** of July! :) Yay, independence, hahaha. Anyway, boy did I screw myself over with the last chapter, I know it, because it sure is going to be a hard act to follow. Well, here goes my try! Hope you like how it turns out, and don't be a "ghost reader." Writing a little review doesn't hurt, seriously. Even if it's one word, I don't care.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Memoirs**

Sakura lay on the floor, her body unmoving for a few moments. Emerald eyes blinked as they glanced around, her shaking body eventually coming to a stop. One arm held the other upper arm, gripping it tightly. Slowly she lifted her head, eyeing the walls around her. She tried to move herself but hissed when she felt pain shoot everywhere in her body.

"The hospital…" she commented to no one in particular. "…What am I doing here?" Her eyebrow quirked, her hand lifting to the base of her throat as it released the hold of her arm. She gulped, face twisting in confusion.

_Why is my throat dry? And why am I in pain, _she continued her questioning mentally, _and why can't I _move_? _Panicking slightly, the girl tried to keep her cool. _If I'm in the hospital… _she thought, then pursed her lips. _Knowing Naruto, he'd probably be here beside me. _

Realization dawned her when Sakura caught no sight of the blond-haired shinobi. Her mouth parted, slightly, she cleared her dry throat.

"N-Naruto!" she called out, stuttering from the pain of her dry throat and wincing from the sound of her hoarse voice.

Immediately the door to the hospital burst open revealing the boy she had called out to. "Sakura-chan!" he replied, cerulean eyes darting around the room to find the said girl. When he found her, crumpled on the floor, he immediately rushed to her side and kneeled down. "Are you all right? Why are you on the floor?" he practically shouted, concern filling his eyes as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

The pink-haired girl leaned against her friend for support. "Where's Tsunade-shishou?" she mumbled, thinking her mentor would be there if she were hospitalized.

"Oh, she was near the door, but she had to go and told me to watch the door and give Sasuke as much time as he needs," answered the blond. Then he took a glance around. "Speaking of which, where is that teme anyway?" He quirked an eyebrow.

_What the hell? _he thought to himself. _How the hell did he leave without me noticing it?! _He looked around, eyes narrowing to double-check his searching to see if he had missed something. _It's like he vanished into thin air! There's no sign of him at all!_

"Naruto, why am I here?" questioned Sakura, looking weary. "Am I hurt…?"

The blond blinked, cerulean eyes casting its gaze upon the girl against him. "Sakura-chan, you were in a coma!" Said girl's face twisted at the information as Naruto continued. "Tsunade-baachan said she didn't know when you were going to wake up and it must be some sort of miracle that you are awake!"

"Oh," she replied meekly. "Huh, I feel empty…" Emerald eyes blinked. "Where's my father?" She spat out the last word.

Naruto's face twisted, remembering what Tsunade had told him about Haruno's condition. "Er, well… he's—"

"He's dying, isn't he?"

"Well, yeah, but how'd you know?"

Sakura shrugged, her expression falling into a blank one. She still leant against Naruto, her body pale and malnourished and unable to support itself. She noticed Naruto's face glancing around the area, as though searching for something.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, letting her curiosity get the better of her. She tried to follow his gaze, not understanding what he was probing for.

"Sakura-chan, where did Sasuke-teme go?" he asked her, his eyebrows creasing.

A silence befell the room before Sakura spoke, breaking the quiet of the room. "Naruto…" she started, taking a breath. Emerald eyes met curious cerulean ones.

"Who's Sasuke?"

-

-

-

"Sakura-chan, are you sure you're all right?" came the worried tone from Uzumaki Naruto, addressing the girl with concerned cerulean eyes.

Sakura glanced at him, giving him a relieving smile. "Naruto, you've been asking that all day, and the answer still is the same! I'm fine, so there's no need to worry!"

The pair walked down the sidewalk of Konohagakure, having just left the funeral of Haruno Tetsuki. The most tears shed were that of hired mourners—other than that; the funeral was small, at Sakura's request.

It was a short affair, and no special arrangements were given. Tsunade was there, along with Kakashi, Ino, Naruto, and of course Sakura herself. After the death of her father, the pink-haired girl had come clean to Tsunade about his abuses. Her mentor spoke how remorseful she felt for never pursuing her suspicions further, but Sakura would smile, dismissing the subject with a wave of her hand.

"_He's dead now," _she had said, _"and I'm still here. There's nothing left to worry about." _

"So, you're sure you're all right?" interrogated the blond-haired boy. "Because, you know, if you aren't—"

"Naruto!" Sakura gave him a playful punch on the shoulder, followed by a small lopsided smile. "You just won't quit, will you?"

The boy grinned; bending his elbow behind as he scratched his sun-kissed yellow hair dawned on his skull. "Aw, come on, Sakura-chan! Hey, how about we get a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku?!" His ocean blue eyes seemed to glow at the suggestion. "That will help you feel better—"

Sakura sighed, laughing as she saw her friend's goofy expression. He beamed at her, holding his arm out for her to take. She lowered her lashes, staring at his arm before lacing it through his.

"One bowl, will that be all it takes to assure you I'm _fine_?" she questioned.

Naruto's eyes darted to the side. "…You mean one bowl for yourself, right?" Hearing the sound of Sakura's laughter was like music to his ears. After all, she was his best friend, and he loved to see her smile–especially when he was the one making her smile.

-

-

-

The pair had finished their meal a half hour later, Naruto insisting that Sakura stayed at his place for the night.

"In separate rooms, of course!" he added before grinning a toothy grin. "Unless you want one room for both of us—" His response for the innuendo was a hard punch to the arm, and the boy could already feeling it bruising as he held it, wincing in pain. "Damn it, Sakura-chan, you know I was kidding!"

Said girl rolled her eyes, continuing her merry way.

"Besides, what could it hurt?" he called out as he trailed after her brisk pace.

"Naruto, you don't need to do that," the pink-haired girl answered. "I'm 18 now, I'm legal to live on my own!"

"I know, I know!" came the reply. Then his tone lowered, azure eyes lowering towards the ground. "I just don't want you going to 'that' house so soon, you know?"

"What, you think I'm going to have nightmares?" She raised an elegant eyebrow. "Come on, I'm not five years old—"

"_Sakura-chan_," he whined. "Come on! We can stay up all night and tell each other scary stories, and I'll make all the ramen we can eat!"

His companion laughed. "Sounds like the perfect thing for you. Besides, all my things are at his"—she paused, correcting herself—"…_my_ place."

However the Hokage dreamer proceeded to stiffen his lower lip, his eyes widening as he resembled a puppy dog face, pouting. Sakura, being female, immediately "Aww"'d at the sight before sighing.

"Fine, just for tonight though, okay?" she reluctantly agreed, but gave a small smile anyway.

Immediately the puppy dog pout erased from Naruto's face. "Alright!" he cheered in victory, fist pumping in the air as he dragged a twitching Sakura to his apartment.

The pair had gone to the apartment, and time seemed to fly as night deemed itself on the sky. Naruto had lead Sakura to his guest bedroom, which was right down the hall from his own quarters. After wishing her goodnight, he left her to enter her slumber.

"Thanks again, Naruto," Sakura spoke to the said person. "Like I said, you don't really need to be doing this—"

"Don't mention it, Sakura-chan," he replied to her, giving her a reassuring grin. "It's no problem at all!"

She gave him a final genuine smile before shutting the door lightly. She entered the bed, pulling the covers over the body as she snuggled into the mattress.

-

-

-

_Sakura walked along the corridors of a seemingly endless hallway. It was pitch black, but despite this fact she could still see what was going on in front of her. _

_Emerald eyes blinked as they noticed a person standing towards the end of the outwardly everlasting passage. As she squinted, she could make out the features of a boy around her age—eighteen years old. He had raven hair, pale skin and a strikingly handsome face. He was facing her, his posture sidestepped towards her. _

_Curious about this stranger, Sakura proceeded to move her feet, carrying herself to where the boy stood. However she noticed that as she drew closer to the person a few yards ahead of her, the figure would blur. She quickened her pace, only to realize the mysterious person was walking away from her, practically fading. _

_She opened her mouth to speak, to call out to the unknown and order it to stop, to know who he is—but when she did get her mouth to open, her voice would not allow her to speak. A hand drew up to her throat, clenching the area as she tried to force herself to talk. Still, nothing._

"_Sakura… Sakura…" _

_Her eyes grew wider as her head rose, looking straight in front of her. The boy continued to walk away, not bothering to look back._

Wait, wait…! _her thoughts called out. However, it was no use. The figure continued his pace without a halter at all. _

"_Sakura… Sakura… Saku—"_

-

-

-

"Oi, Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! Wake up! Sakura!"

The said girl sat upright, feeling hands placed against her shoulders. Opening her eyes, revealing brilliant verdant pupils, she felt a teardrop slip down her cheek. Quickly wiping the tear with the back of her hand, she glanced at her hand with a questioning look, wondering why the bead of moisture had slid down her cheek. Her head cocked to the side in confusion to what brings the blond boy currently leaning against the front of her bed.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, good, you're awake now," he commented, shaking his head side to side. He glanced to the clock. _2:03 AM _it read. He looked back at the pink-haired girl, reading her puzzled look as he realized he hadn't answered her question. "You were twisting and turning in your sleep, like a fish out of water or something!" he whispered loudly. "I came in hearing the creaking of the bed, and wondering what all the racket was about." Then his cerulean gaze softened. "And when I came in, I noticed a tear fall down your cheek."

Sakura brought a hand up to her porcelain face, feeling a strange wet mark against it. Then she realized she had been sweating as well.

"What were you dreaming of?" questioned Naruto. "Were you having a nightmare or something?" He raised an eyebrow, interrogating further. "And why were you crying?"

Having not answered his multiple questions, the pink-haired girl moved herself off the bed, carrying her body towards the nearby bathroom. Emerald eyes locked with it's reflection as she studied her discomposed figure, her hair out of place and the light glisten the moonlight lit off of her pale (yet warm) face.

She lowered her head, turning on the faucets as she held water in the palms of her hands before splashing the liquid upon her face to cool herself down. Wiping the water off her, she rose her head once again, glancing into her mirror image once more.

The moonlight shone from the small window located inside the bathroom, lighting up only certain parts of the small quarter.

However her eyes narrowed drastically when she noticed an outline in the shadows. As she squinted to try and get a better look, the body took a step forward, only half of it's features being revealed in the light from the moon. Sakura gaped, realizing the person had the same distinct features as the being from her dream a few moments ago.

"_Forgot me already, eh Sa-ku-ra?" _

The said girl whipped around, her hands behind her as they gripped the edge of the sink tightly, so tight her knuckles began to turn pallid. She opened her mouth, mentally cursing to find that for a second time she couldn't bring herself to use her voice properly. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her head lowering and shaking her head. When she brought it back up again, she sighed in relief.

"Oh, Naruto, it's only you," she breathed out.

_That voice I heard… _she thought to herself. _That must have just been in my head. Oh great, I think I'm losing it. _

"Are you sure you're all right, Sakura-chan?" She was brought out of her thinking as she locked eyes with Naruto, seeing the concern in the depths of his oceanic, cobalt pupils. "You're acting pretty strange…" he added slowly, unsurely.

The girl lowered her lashes, "I don't know what's going on with me, either." She took a few steps towards Naruto, her head lowered until she brought it back up again. "You said I woke up from a coma recently, right?"

The boy nodded his head numbly, confused on what point she was getting at. "Yeah… what about it?"

She shrugged, "I mean, I _did _just wake up from it, so this could be just resulting from the comatose." However she could see in his cerulean eyes he was still confused. "Tell you what," she added, "how about I get a good night's rest, and if I'm still acting strange tomorrow, we can go to Tsunade-shishou and ask what's wrong. Sound good?"

Naruto nodded, giving her a small grin. "Yeah, you're right. A goodnight's rest should do you good!" He left, stopping at the door as he wished her goodnight. She replied with the same thing to him before scurrying off to her resting place.

Once more she headed over to the mattress, leaning against it as it creaked lightly with the additional weight recently placed upon it. She enveloped herself in the covers, letting herself visit the realm of sleep for a second time.

-

-

-

_Sakura walked along, realizing she was in the same hallway as before. _What am I doing here? _she thought to herself, perplexed at why she was dreaming the same thing twice._

_Just then she saw the same boy in front of her, this time facing her fully. His mouth opened, and Sakura listened intensely at the silky smooth voice that came out._

"_My name is"—she leaned closer, desperate to find out the name of her frequent unnamed visitor in her mind. However, as though her hearing had suddenly been cut off, she only saw the person in front of her mouth his name, and she frowned in disappointment. She saw him open his mouth again, continuing. "I'm a demon from hell, sent here to help you."_

_Emerald eyes squinted at the being before her. _Still the same person as before… _she thought to herself. _Same features and everything…—

_Just then, the individual's original raven hair began to grow past his shoulders as a violet shade took place. His piercing and dark onyx eyes turned into a bloody crimson. His white teeth began to grow fangs in it as black claws formed from his fingernails. His back hunched over, and a couple of minutes later two black wings sprung from his back. Sakura gasped, seeing the two feathery wings bursting from his flesh. _

_Unconsciously, she stepped backwards, stumbling slightly. Her hand flew to her mouth, covering it as a reflex from her shock. _

What _is _this boy? _she spoke in her mind, jade pupils blinking in disbelief. _

_He took a few steps towards her, walking in a leisure pace. The pink-haired girl, in response, continued tentatively heading backwards, until she realized she was cornered to a wall. She could see a better view from him, realizing that _whatever _he was, he was disturbingly beautiful. _

_He reached a hand outwards to her, and she could feel her body shiver in cowardice. _

_Closer, closer, closer to her the pale hand went, until–_

-

-

-

Sakura sat upright immediately, feeling her inhale shallow breaths. The palms of her hands placed behind her supported her as she looked around the spacious room, noting she had no other company with her. Lusciously thick lashes lowered, hooding dark jade green eyes.

Her eyes flew upwards again when she saw Naruto peering through the opening. Seeing her discomposed figure, he took a step inside the area.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked calmly as Sakura realized he had brought her breakfast. She nodded numbly, taking the tray off his hands as he neared her. He positioned himself on the foot of her bed, watching her carefully as she ate the food in front of her slowly. After a few bites, she set the food aside, swallowing the last chunk of chow before opening her mouth to speak.

"I had the same dream I had last night," she stated. "But this one was different, I don't understand what it's all about—"

"Whoa, whoa," Naruto interrupted, pushing his hands outwards to emphasize his comment. "Let's start with what you dreamed about." Sakura nodded in understanding.

"It was about… this boy"—at that, Naruto raised an eyebrow, curious as he probed for her to continue with a motion of his hands—"He had raven hair, and was pale. But… he was strikingly familiar. He looked just like my age, and so I was curious and I tried to get closer to him. But the closer I got, the blurrier he became, and he started walking away, like he was fading away. I heard my name being called, but it was weird because I couldn't talk. Then I woke up, and found you here." She finished, looking at Naruto for understanding.

"So that's the dream you had last night," he responded. "Or, the nightmare, since you were moving so much. But then when I found you in the bathroom, you were all shaken up, so what happened there?"

Sakura laughed uneasily. "Oh, that. I washed my face since I felt really hot. Then I looked up in the mirror, and saw the same boy from my dream. I even heard my name again too, but when I tried to speak, I couldn't talk again." She shrugged, pushing pastel pink hair over her shoulder. "I guess my body froze because it was so shocked or something. Then I look again, and it turns out to be you."

Naruto looked up, his expression thoughtful as he brought his hand to his chin and rubbed it. "And, the dream this morning?" he continued his interrogation.

"I saw the same boy," she replied. "But—but this time, he turned into something else. Like a demon or something—!" At that, Naruto snapped his fingers, and Sakura paused her sentence as she looked at him befuddled, head cocked to the side as she waited for him to elaborate.

"Ne, Sakura-chan," he began, bringing his cerulean gaze to meet her emerald one. "What did you say the boy in your dreams looked like again?"

"He had raven hair, dark eyes, a pale face—"

"Yep, that's Sasuke all right!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the exclaim. "That's the same person you named at the hospital," she commented. "I already told you, I don't know who this 'Sasuke' is."

Naruto scratched his sun-kissed blond hair. "How can you not know who he is? You're the one who told me about him!"

"I did?" she questioned, absent-mindedly playing with some loose strands of her hair.

"Yeah!" he answered her. "You told me he was a _demon_, and I've met him before you know! The way you describe him matches him _perfectly_." He scratched his head some more. "What I don't get is why you don't remember him, since you're the one who told me who he is!"

"Well, how did _I _know him?"

The blond waved his hand. "You said he was some demon guy sent from hell here to help you with your dad. Not that he needs to anymore, he's dead." He crossed his arms, head lowering as he added, muttering, "Even though you did tell me Sasuke was the one who killed him. Or hurt him enough to do it."

Sakura pointed her eyes, studying Naruto's face, confounded. "Who _is _he?"

Naruto threw his arms up in the air, baffled himself. "What I don't get is why _I _can remember him, and you can't!" The pink-haired girl sighed, leaning back against her bedpost.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about."

-

-

-

"Ugh!" came the grunt from tightly gritted teeth. Sasuke was chained to the wall clad in only black pants as the whip came in contact with his back again. He leaned forward when the thrash hit his back, a long bloody scar forming along the other against the center of his back.

Akatsuki stood high on their pedestals, amused at the sight of suffering before them.

"Harder, yeah!" Deidara called out, grinning when the devil demon complied with even harder whips.

"Damn you _all_," growled the young Uchiha, grunting with another belt against his back. He could feel his warm blood spill down his pale skin, staining it.

"We already are," retorted Sasori with a leer.

"Bring out the spiked whip," Pain spoke calmly.

The demon nodded, whipping out a rope covered in thorns. It chuckled evilly, his arm wheeling back as he prepared to thrash it against his victim.

Sasuke's eyelids hooded over dark onyx orbs , awaiting the pounding until he saw a bright light before him.

"Aw, _now_?" Kisame grumbled, having enjoyed the beating of the brat before him.

Soon Sasuke was swept in the dazzling colorless light, only to reappear before the four Hokages once again. Simultaneously their heads shook as they saw the scarred body of the being before them, muttering in disapproval of Hell's antics.

"Just in time," he muttered sarcastically. "What is it this time?"

"You should show a little more gratitude, Uchiha," claimed the first Hokage, Hashirama. "We did save you from more scars, after all."

The raven-haired demon clicked his tongue, sneering as he diverted his gaze elsewhere.

"Don't worry, we won't waste your time," Sarutobi spoke serenely.

"Then got on with it," Sasuke snapped back.

Sarutobi, used to the attitude, nodded. "Of course." The senior man glanced at the Nidaime, cueing that he could explain. The latter nodded.

"As promised, the girl is alive, as you saw for yourself," the second Hokage spoke. "And as part of the deal, you did lose your second life. An 'Eye for an Eye,' as the Bible proclaims."

The Uchiha narrowed his onyx eyes, his impatience rising as he was told information he already knew. "What of it?"

"Despite your trade," chimed in the first Hokage, "you did fulfill your end of the earlier bargain by making the girl's life better in result of her father's death. See for yourself." He snapped his fingers, and a mirror appeared.

Sasuke pointed his gaze towards the reflection, seeing through it Naruto with Sakura both at the Ichiraku ramen stand. Sakura was giggling behind her hand as Naruto stuffed his face with the ramen broth as though he hadn't eaten in years. Then it showed Naruto choking, followed by the pink-haired girl patting him on the back causing the former to cough.

"_Agh, ramen, you have betrayed me!" _he cried out in a melodramatic manner, grinning as he saw Sakura beside him laugh even harder.

Minato smiled fatherly at the sight of his son. _It seems Naruto has done well for himself. _

"As mentioned, her life has become better," Hashirama spoke.

"However, as for you two not falling in love with each other…" Sarutobi spoke. He gave a gentle smile to Sasuke, who kept a blank composure as he continued looking at the mirror, his eyes seemingly fixed upon the object. "We are willing to overlook that. After all, love is welcomed, not shunned."

"After all, a deal is a deal," Minato inserted. "You did make her life better, and as promised you will get your second opportunity at life. Try not to mess it up this time so you end up here with us," he joked. "Just call this whole thing a 'loophole'," he adjoined with a wide grin.

Bringing his attention away from the mirror, Sasuke looked upon the four noble men before him. Long, silky raven bangs covered pools of onyx orbs.

"…Thank you."

_So it seems the boy does possess manners, _Hashirama thought as he closed his eyes briefly, a small grin forming on his features.

"Hey, Sasuke," Minato called out. The said person glanced at him. A grin grew on the Fourth's tanned visage as he raised his hand, his index and middle fingers out as he gave a salute.

"Say Hi to Naruto for me."

-

-

-

The Uchiha had blinked, and before he knew it he found himself surrounded by trees. He looked down at the palms of his hands that were out ahead of him. He could feel blood pumping through his veins and the pounds of his heartbeat.

_I'm… alive, _he thought solemnly, looking at the front and back of his hands.

He cast his onyx gaze upwards, following his instincts as he walked through the forest. Lively chatter filled his ears as he entered the town of Konohagakure. Impassively he walked through, ignoring the awed looks of girls that swooned at the sight of him and villagers curious of the new strikingly good-looking stranger.

Before he knew it he had walked upon the street that led to Ichiraku as he wandered across the town, glancing around the sights before him. His ears perked at the sounds of Naruto chortling, followed by the feminine laughs of Sakura.

The pair was just ready to leave the ramen shop, both thanking Ayame and her father for the food. They strolled down unhurried along the road as Naruto leaned his head back, arms folded behind his head as he began to chatter mindlessly. Sakura listened, nodding every now and then.

Then the pink-haired girl noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a man standing on the road. She looked at him, emerald eyes widening as wide as saucers as she observed the features of him. Raven hair. Pale face. Strikingly handsome. She saw his face turn, dark ebony eyes locking with her widened emerald pupils. _Same dark eyes, too! _she added to her thoughts.

She stopped in her tracks, gaping at the realization of the familiar appearance as Naruto continued walking slightly further.

_It's… it's that boy! _Sakura thought, perplexed and shocked.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto called out, glancing behind him as he looked at the girl curiously. The said person heard the blond's voice as though he were at a distance, her thoughts to busy on the person before her as Sasuke kept his gaze on her, his face calm and collected. Emerald eyes blinked in comprehension.

_It's… it's Sasuke!_


	17. Part XVII

**A/N:**** Final chapter, real sorry for the delay of update, it took a while to come up with how I wanted it to end. Maybe it was too good to end? Heh, I don't know. Meanwhile I've corrected my "grammar mistakes" in earlier chapters, so feel free to read over to see the "changes!" **

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

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**Demon's Fall**

Summary: Sakura's life is a living hell. Sasuke, a demon from hell, is sent to earth to help Sakura through her awful life. Just one rule, they can't fall in love with each other. SasuSaku.

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**Chapter 17 – Alive**

Her mouth fell open, gawking at the strikingly handsome boy a few yards away from her. Sea green eyes blinked furiously in disbelief, thinking it was her imagination at the works.

Wanting to prove she was only hallucinating things, she forced her frozen legs to move, walking over to the raven-haired human who stood a little distance away. Once there, she looked up at him, seeing he was a head taller than her. Emerald eyes glanced upon his gaze, viewing his vigilantly scrutinizing onyx eyes, watching as they traced every little movement she made.

Slowly, Sakura raised her arm, gentle fingertips grazing the pale boy's cheek. After all, she convinced herself, a delusion isn't real, and she _was _only being delusional. This _was _the illusion of the boy she had seen multiple times in the past couple days, in dreams and in hallucinations. This _**was **_only her mind playing tricks on her, nothing more.

However, when she felt the slightest flinch beneath her fingertips upon the contact against his cheek, large emerald eyes widened. Raising her hand a little higher, she lightly ran her hand through silky raven hair, blank ebony pupils continuing to watch her movements diligently as she let her hand linger in sleek corvine locks.

Her mouth fell open a little more as a soft, almost inaudible gasp escaped her throat.

She remained in that position for a few moments, not noticing Sasuke's own pale arm rise, his hand encasing over hers as he intertwined his fingers through her own unmoving ones. His grip still tight on her hand, he lowered her arm, his grasp not faltering as let their conjoined body parts hang limply between them.

Large jade eyes blinked slowly, too dazed to notice her clutched fingers.

"Sakura…" Sasuke drawled out succulently slow.

The sound caused her eyes to enlarge conspicuously, realizing this stranger before her had the same hauntingly deep, husky voice she had heard numerously from her dreams.

"You… you're—" she started before another voice interrupted her.

"Hey, hey! If it isn't Sasuke!"

Naruto's voice called out from behind, having watched Sakura's strange actions with baffled cerulean eyes until he looked around her, seeing the corvine-haired boy in front of her. A grin set on his tan, whiskery face as he walked leisurely over to the two. Lifting his arm, he gave a somewhat light slap to the back of the Uchiha.

"What are you doing here, huh?" he questioned before azure eyes blinked in comprehension. "Wait a minute…" he started, remembering what had happened at the infirmary. "How did you leave the hospital without me noticing you, huh? I have pretty good hearing, but I didn't hear a sound! I didn't even _see _you leave, and I was right outside the door!"

Sasuke moved his onyx gaze from the stunned face of Sakura's to Naruto, his mouth quirking slightly. "I took the window, dolt."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at the statement. His face held disbelief and suspicion. "I didn't hear the window creak open."

"It was already open."

Naruto looked up in the sky, contemplating for a few moments before believing Sasuke's false alibi, as it was an authentic lie. Quickly losing his calm façade, his grin returned to his face.

"Well, all right, then! So, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme…" his voice trailed off as Naruto began to resume his mindless chatter from before, speaking of random subjects.

The Uchiha kept his blank composure, ignoring Naruto with half a mind.

After a few moments as only the blonde's babble could be heard, Sakura somewhat broke out of her vacant state. Emerald eyes trailed down her porcelain arm, only to see the raven-haired man's hand gripping her own firmly still. Idly, she noted her own limp fingers that were yet to lace around his.

Her verdant gaze remained locked on their bound hands, pondering the vaguely affectionate action in her mind. After all, this 'Sasuke' was still a mere stranger to her, the only information of her knowing him coming from what Naruto had explained to her and the bizarre dreams she had been having. But what perplexed the blossom-haired woman most was the fact that she seemed so accustomed to him. As though she already knows him, and at the same time, has no idea who he is or what relation he has to herself.

All the thoughts simultaneously racked her brain, causing her to be ignorant as to what was going on around her, including not noticing Naruto's prattle come to a stop.

"…And that is how ramen was made." The said blonde paused for a moment, his mouth quirking slightly. "Hey, are you guys even _listening_?"

Jade eyes moved their vacant stare upon the boy, her face void of any reaction as too many thoughts ran through her head for her to give him an answer. Meanwhile, the Uchiha simply averted his gaze, having not been listening in the first place.

Naruto raised his arm, bending it behind his head as he scratched his sun-kissed blonde hair. His cobalt eyes noticed Sasuke's and Sakura's arms, his eyes traveling downward as he viewed their fingers entwined together (having not noticed Sakura's remained hanging flaccidly.)

Tilting his head to the right, he questioned in a confused manner, "Hey, is something going on between you two?"

The eighteen-year-old man followed Naruto's scrutinizing stare as Sasuke noted how he had absent-mindedly kept a grip on the girl's hand in front of him. And yet, his body did not bother to release the clasp as onyx orbs viewed the blossom-haired girl's face.

Upon hearing neither of the two answering his question, Naruto questioned, "Silent treatment, eh?" Then a sly grin grew on his tanned expression, interjecting, "You guys want me to leave so you can have your _alone _time, huh?" He chortled shortly, adding in a joking tone, "Am I being a third wheel here?" He turned, beginning to walk away as he further said, "Yeah, don't worry about me, I can take a hint!"

Cerulean eyes glanced up at the sky, his grin still plastered on his face as he stated idly, "I wonder what Hinata-chan's doing…"

Ultimately coming to her senses upon noticing her companion leave, Sakura shook her head, breaking out of her distant state. Upon remembering her hand grasped firmly by Sasuke, her mouth tugged slightly in a frown.

With a light jerk, she tried to tow her hand from his hold. In response to the wrench, the Uchiha's grip indolently tightened. Noticing this, Sakura tugged her hand once more, this time with more force as she successfully yanked her hand away from his.

Moving her head upwards, emerald eyes instantly locked with intense onyx orbs, slightly flinching upon observing how the raven-haired man already had his head turned towards her.

"You…" she began, gradually. Rising her head slightly higher, her large sea green eyes flashed.

"Who _are _you?"

A soft breeze blew by as leaves rustled from the gentle wind.

Upon not hearing a response, Sakura briefly took a step forward, continuing her interrogation.

"Well? Who _are _you?" she repeated in a demanding tone. "_Why_ have you appeared in my dreams and hallucinations? _Why_ do you feel so… so _familiar _but I can't figure out who you _are_?" Her hands rose, weaving themselves through her glossy pink tresses. "And _why _do I feel _pained_ that I can't remember you? It's—It's so…!"

It was evident that her aggravation was beginning to grow as she groaned before exhaling noisily, her hands clutching chunks of carnation-colored hair.

Upon her numerous inquisition, Sasuke had watched her with faintly widened ebony pupils, taken aback at all her questioning—but more bothered at her starting inquiry.

"_Who __**are **__you?"_

The beginning query had echoed in his mind repeatedly, whilst the rest of her questions began to sound like a buzzing hum.

"You've… forgotten me?" asked the pale figure in a murmur, thick raven bangs covering piercing onyx eyes.

Sakura took a shaky breath upon his tone. "What… are you, to me?"

Ebony eyes bled to that of the Sharingan as they peered through corvine locks.

"Your protector."

His answer was short and brisk.

The blossom-haired girl lowered her eyelids, pointing her verdant stare upon the floor. There was something about him… she couldn't put her finger on _what _it was, exactly, but something about him made her feel… _livid_. She moved her head back up, large apple green eyes rising to meet his penetrating gaze. Glimpsing directly in his intent look, it was then she noticed something.

His eyes.

They were not the onyx color she had seen on him a few moments before. They were distinctly crimson, creating contrast between flashing burgundy eyes and dark raven locks. Her heart skipped upon the intensity of his stare, amazed upon how she could be at such a mix of emotions by the mere depth of his gaze with no spoken words required.

And yet, upon seeing his scarlet eyes, she felt a pounding in the back of her skull, as though her subconscious was trying to tell her something, but could not get the message across.

It wasn't until she was hit with flashes of a remembrance, her sea green eyes glazing over during the recollection, that she realized what her subliminal mind was trying to tell her.

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_Tetsuki took out a rifle; a rifle Sakura didn't know her father owned. _

Where—_When_ did he get that?_ her mind screamed. _

_Everything happened so quickly; everything was a blur to her. All she heard was the deafening sound of a gunshot, and the sickening sound of blood splattering across the floor from the shadow flashed in front of her. Snapping open her eyes, shaky emerald green orbs looked up, afraid of whom that gun was aimed at. She met her fears when she saw the massive blood spilling out from Sasuke's body._

_The bullet had hit him—the shot imbedded right near his heart._

_Quaking jade pupils glanced at the demon, and upon the glimpse, noticed there was something different about Sasuke's eyes. Not only were they clouded for blood lust, the beaming scarlet showing the need for the shed of blood as his hands gripped his wound as countless blood poured out of it, but also his eyes were glazed over. Despite the fact that his mouth was twisted in an evil grin, barring sharp fangs on his white teeth, his eyes were distant._

_Sasuke took a step forward, and Tetsuki was watching him in shock. Then, in the blink of an eye, Sasuke was in front of the man, lifting him up from the neck, strangling him until he threw him to the wall like a rag doll. Sakura gasped from the massive strength when she heard bones crack from Sasuke's strong toss._

_Tetsuki's neck held purple strangle marks, and from the cracks he probably broke a bone or more. The Haruno male tried to get up, but couldn't from the massive pain. _

_Sasuke took no pity on him though. _

_He walked over, picking up the man and grinning at him sadistically. Then the Uchiha threw him back down, and took a hold of Tetsuki's wrist, snapping it as though it were a twig, earning a pained scream from Tetsuki. The scream echoed in Sakura's ears. Sasuke stepped cruelly on his legs, already bruising Tetsuki just from touching him. His claws scraped against his arms, and more blood flowed out. Sasuke licked his lips, eyes gleaming as he was partly satisfied with the bloodshed. He lifted Tetsuki up yet again, this time from the collar of his shirt._

_Sasuke was torturing her father, deciding to protect Sakura of her problem by never letting her face drunken abuses again by killing the one who caused it, painfully slow so he would suffer the pain he had brought._

_Uchiha, still not satisfied, was about to return to torturing Tetsuki after he dropped him from a few feet, but Sakura's scream stopped him. _

"_Sasuke-kun!" she yelled. She forced her body, which was still shaking wildly from the massive violence she had just seen form her innocent jade green eyes, and yelled, "STOP IT!"_

_Sasuke didn't turn around, instead did stop mid-movement just as he was bending down to pick up Tetsuki once again. Sakura forced her legs to carry her over to Sasuke, wrapping her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his back._

"_Stop it…" she whispered. "Why are you doing this?"_

_She felt Sasuke tense underneath her touch. Then, his wings began receding back into his back, black marks disappearing, his eyes regaining their original onyx color as fangs and claws also disappeared. Sasuke grunted from the feeling of just transforming back, and Sakura still grasped onto him tightly. _

"_What… what happened to you, Sasuke-kun? Why'd you…?" Sakura couldn't continue her sentence. She had no idea how to describe what had just happened, what she had just seen._

_The Sharingan was still in Sasuke's eyes as the tomoes swirled. He muttered a few words as they hung in the air of an uncomfortable silence._

"_I… protected you…" _

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-

_My… protector…? _the blossom-haired girl repeated his words in her mind, feeling lightheaded.

In her remembrance, she had seen him transform into some other form, just as her latter dream a couple days before had demonstrated to her. She then remembered what Naruto had told her.

-

"_You told me he was a_ demon_, and I've met him before you know! The way you describe him matches him _perfectly_." He scratched his blonde head some more. "What I don't get is why you don't remember him, since you're the one who told me who he is!"_

"_Well, how did I know him?"_

_The blond waved his hand. "You said he was some demon guy sent from hell here to help you with your dad. Not that he needs to anymore, he's dead."_

-

_A demon… from hell? _she questioned mentally. She glanced up at him before averting her gaze over his broad shoulder. _So he did speak some truth. _Her eyelids hooded over apple green orbs. _But… he's a _demon_, so wouldn't that mean he's dangerous? How could he be my protector? How—?_

"Just what _are _you?" she inquired, glancing upon his dark ebony eyes once more, cutting off her thoughts.

Obsidian pupils looked back into her own, his stare unyielding and fixed. He could see the faint doubt beneath her emerald eyes, being able to somewhat know what she was thinking of him.

"Not what you think I am," he retorted, his voice low.

The blossom-haired girl lifted an eyebrow, her arm rising as it made its way against her hip, leaning her weight on one of her legs. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I explained."

Her mouth tugged slightly in a frown, crossing her arms over her torso.

"Try me."

A light chuckle escaped his throat. "You'll think I'm insane."

"We'll see."

"…Suit yourself." Onyx eyes glanced around the surroundings. "Let's go for a walk."

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"…I completed my part, and Heaven kept their word, despite the earlier circumstance. I've been given a second chance at life, to 'start over.'" Ebony orbs blinked slowly. "That's it."

Eventually the couple had come to a stone bench, sitting down as Sasuke finished his explanation.

Upon the conclude, Sakura sat perfectly still, stunned from the story the Uchiha had told. She blinked a couple times, processing all the new information in her mind.

"…You gave up your second life to save mine?" she asked, her voice a breathy whisper after a few moments of lingering silence.

The raven-haired male gave her a faint nod.

She smiled slightly. "Wow, I never would've thought…" She turned her head, emerald eyes glancing upon his pale skin. "That's probably why I can't remember you. Maybe, because we 'broke' the big 'love rule' with Heaven, that you getting your second life but excluding my memory of you was their idea of a just penalty for breaking that rule."

His eyelids hooded over dark onyx eyes. "So it seems."

Sakura nodded, her head bobbing as her own eyelids drooped over her eyes. The events of the day had begun to make her drowsy, as well as the fact that she hadn't been able to get a good night's rest the past couple of days prior ever since her peculiar imaginings of a certain raven-haired male. A soft yawn escaped her cherry pink lips as sleepiness began to consume her. Her body then began to feel tipsy, leaning left and right before feeling her head land against a broad shoulder.

Her cheeks reddened slightly as she mentally debated whether to move off the Uchiha, partially pondering if he minded the lean at all as he made no movement despite a slight flinch before relaxing his muscles. However, numbness soon overwhelmed Sakura as thick lashes lowered, almost immediately covering large sea green eyes.

Sasuke, upon feeling her slant her weight against him, glanced at her with vague curiosity. Upon hearing her even breathing, it didn't take him long to realize she had fallen asleep.

He chuckled briefly before slowly adjusting himself, scooping her up in his arms bridal style as he decided to take her to her closest friend Naruto to care for her.

Soon he reached the door of the blonde's apartment (after asking a few passing-by girls if they knew where Naruto lived, only to find the questioning pointless by only getting squeals and hearts in their eyes out of them whilst Teuchi and Ayame answered for the girls), hitting the door lightly with his hand. He pushed Sakura higher in his arms, noticing her body beginning to droop slightly as her head rested against the crook of his neck, her legs dangling off the hold of his right hand.

A few moments later the blue-eyed boy opened the door, glancing curiously at the raven-haired male. "Sasuke-teme? What are you doing here?" His eyes glanced down at the girl in his arms, only to instantly realize it was Sakura by her distinct bubblegum pink hair. He grinned crookedly at the sight. "Fell asleep on you, huh?"

"Hn," the Uchiha grunted, walking in as Naruto stepped aside, holding the door open wider to the let his companions in.

Once inside, Sasuke noticed the presence of another as he glanced over, seeing a dark-haired girl sitting on a couch with two instant ramen cups in front of her, the steam from the broth rising into the air, the scent of ramen lingering in the atmosphere.

"Heh, sorry, Hinata-chan," spoke Naruto, grinning sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "This'll only take a sec."

Sasuke merely said nothing, giving a nod to acknowledge the presence of the Hyuuga as Hinata gave a small, shy smile in return.

"You could put Sakura-chan here, Sasuke," Naruto stated, pointing at a vacant room with a small bed inside.

The Uchiha nodded, walking inside as he leaned over, slipping Sakura off his arms as he lay her across the bed. Her head turned as a soft sound escaped her throat, her hand rising and laying across her stomach. Naruto smiled, taking the covers and placing them over the blossom-haired girl.

"She'll stay here for the night," Naruto told the raven-haired male as the two began to walk out of the room silently.

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Birds chirped as morning beams hit against the porcelain skin of Sakura's as the girl shut her eyes tight before opening them. She sat up, stretching her arms wide as a small yawn escaped her lips.

_What a strange dream… _she thought, droopy eyes glancing around her surroundings, slightly dazed.

She did a double take as she realized she wasn't familiar with the walls around her, only for her rising heartbeat to calm when she soon recognized the simple décor of Naruto's home.

Still sitting upright, her hands lowered in her lap before lifting the covers, only to realize she was in pajamas instead of her original clothing she had worn before she remembered herself drifting to slumber.

Her cheeks warmed out of embarrassment and anger, her mind instantly assuming Naruto had changed her. _That perverted little…! _

Kicking off the covers, she swung her legs over, carrying her feet across the wooden floor as she walked towards his kitchen, knowing the blonde would be there most likely with his favorite food stuffing his face with noodles.

"So, let me get this straight. You're _not_ a demon anymore?"

"No."

Eyebrows shot up. "No kidding! No wonder you seemed a little different…"

Jade eyes blinked curiously upon hearing Naruto's usual cheery tone along with another male voice.

She walked in, only to see Naruto and Sasuke sitting around a small table, two glasses and one ramen cup against the counter as the two men glanced at her upon her arrival.

Her mind didn't recognize the raven-haired male at first until little remembrances hit her brain. This caused her face to flush, remembering they had been conversing on a bench as she came to realize she must have dozed off against him, causing him to carry her over to Naruto's.

She pointed her emerald gaze down, flustered as she fingered the hem of her pajama top. Upon seeing the sleeping wear, she immediately remembered why she had originally stormed into the kitchen in the first place, a scowl setting in her features, her hand clenching in a fist as she looked at Naruto.

The said blonde looked back at her, head tilting to the side in confusion at her sudden glare at him.

"Naruto, did you change me?" she questioned in an eerily calm tone.

Cerulean pupils eyed her clothing before he instantly raised his arms in a surrendering motion in his defense. "Wait, wait a minute, Sakura-chan! I didn't touch you!"

Sakura, her face holding disbelief, began cracking her knuckles. "How did I get in these pajamas, then?"

Naruto glanced over at Sasuke as the latter simply sipped his glass of tea idly, onyx eyes closed as his expression was composed.

The blossom-haired girl quirked an eyebrow, eyeing the two men back and forth.

The azure-eyed boy looked back at her, grinning sheepishly as he raised his index finger, scratching lightly at his temple.

"Well…"

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"_You could put Sakura-chan here, Sasuke," Naruto stated, pointing at a vacant room with a small bed inside. _

_The Uchiha nodded, walking inside as he leaned over, slipping Sakura off his arms as he lay her across the bed. Her head turned as a soft sound escaped her throat, her hand rising and laying across her stomach. Naruto smiled, taking the covers and placing them over the blossom-haired girl._

"_She'll stay here for the night," Naruto told the raven-haired male as the two began to walk out of the room silently._

_The blonde then paused, causing the raven-haired male to glance at him upon his sudden stop. _

"_Oh, wait, wouldn't Sakura-chan be uncomfortable sleeping in those clothes?" he asked, rubbing the back of his golden hair as cobalt pupils eyeballed her garments. "Shouldn't she change?"_

_Sasuke quirked an elegant eyebrow at his suggestion. _

_Naruto then did a little cringe, adding, "Then again, Sakura-chan does get really cranky when she's woken up from her sleep._

_A silence passed between the two men._

"…_Maybe someone should change her, eh?"_

"_Hell no," the Uchiha immediately snapped. _

_Naruto scowled at his instant rejoinder. "Well, I'm sure as hell not doing it! Sakura-chan would kill me!" He scratched his hair, adding, "Besides, _you_ brought her here, so shouldn't you do it?!" _

"_Just do it, dobe." _

"_Hell no!"_

"_I'm not doing it."_

"_Well, neither am I! Why can't you do it, huh?!"_

"_I'm a man." _

"_And I'm not?!"_

"_No." _

"_Then what does that make me, teme?!"_

"_A loser."_

"_AM NOT!" _

"_Then do it."_

"_NO!"__  
_

"_Um, Naruto-kun…"_

"_Not now, Hinata-chan!"_

"_Ah, sorry…" Her little feet scurried out the door, having come in the first place after hearing the yelling._

_Naruto then opened his mouth once more before cerulean eyes widened in recognition. He then gave a foxy grin whilst Sasuke looked at him strangely. _

"_Sasuke-teme, I just found a solution to both our problems!" _

_The Uchiha lifted an eyebrow, watching the blonde stroll out of the room._

"_Hey, Hinata-chan! I need a favor!"_

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"So… Hinata-chan did it?" Sakura questioned while Naruto bobbed his head up and down rapidly.

"You know I wouldn't take advantage of you like that, Sakura-chan!" He sweat-dropped as the blossom-haired girl gave him a deadpanned look.

She walked forward, pulling out a lone chair as she sat herself in the seat, musing to herself tranquilly as she sat between Naruto and Sasuke.

"So…" Naruto began idly, deciding to strike up conversation. "Where're you staying at, teme?"

Sasuke opened one of his onyx orbs before closing it again. "Where I lived when I was alive."

"And where's that?" the blonde asked, sending him a questioning look as Sakura glimpsed at the Uchiha, the small talk peeking her curiosity.

"Uchiha Compound," he answered simply once feeling the two's gazes against him.

"And you, Sakura-chan?" Cerulean eyes darted over to his pink-haired best friend.

Sakura gave him a puzzled look. "Where I've been staying all my life, Naruto." Upon hearing the statement, Sasuke idly glowered.

"You shouldn't be there," he retorted briskly.

Lifting an eyebrow, the girl glanced over at the raven-haired male. "And why's that?"

"Yeah, Sasuke-teme's got a point, Sakura-chan," Naruto chimed in. "That place is full of evil or something. Why don't you just sell it and buy a place of your own?"

Sakura frowned faintly, "Because, Naruto, Sasuke, that place has _sentimental _value too, even if all the experiences weren't 'pleasant' ones." She slightly cringed upon the little remembrances.

Naruto scoffed under his breath, leaning back in his chair as he folded his arms behind his head, "Screw sentimental value, Sakura-chan, the place is cursed!" He ignored the scowl the blossom-haired girl sent his way.

"Then where do I stay, huh?" she questioned, her tone harsh.

"With me, of course—!" the blonde stated before his ears perked upon hearing his phone ringing. Getting up from his seat, he walked over, picking up the phone. "Hello? Oh, Hinata-chan, hey! No, not really…" He had begun to walk off, his voice growing more and more remote.

Sakura heaved out a frustrated sigh, pushing her chair back as she stood up. Sasuke watched her, wondering what she was doing. Seeing her rise her hand to the side of her mouth, she called, "Naruto! I'm going out for a walk."

"Uh, yeah, sure!" the Uchiha heard the said boy call from a distance.

Frustrations had begun eating away at Sakura ever since the beginning of her residence situation. Yes, she didn't like most of the memories the area withdrew, but as she had stated previously, it _did _hold sentimental value, it being the place where she grew up and where her formerly alive mother had lived. She wasn't ready to lose those memories, not yet.

Huffing out a sigh, she turned on her heel, heading towards the door. She heard the screech of chair legs scraping against the floor as the carnation-haired young woman glanced behind her, her mouth set in a frown as she furrowed an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" she questioned, seeing the Uchiha take a few steps towards her.

"Going with you," he stated brusquely.

She let her baffled expression etch across her face. "What? Why?"

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Why not?"

"Well, why not stay with Naruto?"

"And listen to the dobe talk senselessly?" Sasuke snorted, his tone evenly flat and laced with sarcasm. "I'll pass."

_**Ah, quit arguing with him, will you? When a hot guy like him wants to walk with you, you don't argue with him about it! **_Inner Sakura advised, followed by a couple snickers.

Sakura rolled her eyes at her alter ego's thought, shrugging unresponsively to the Uchiha as she decided to say no more, walking out the door of Naruto's small apartment with the raven-haired male going along a few moments later.

The pair walked by the side as Sakura enjoyed the soft breeze, a comfortable silence taking place between the two.

"You should move and sell the house, Sakura."

Sasuke's low, rich voice cut the peaceful stillness of the moment as Sakura opened both her emerald eyes, her eyelashes fluttering as she blinked a few times registering what the man beside her had spoken. Upon realizing the statement, a frown marred her pretty face as she sighed.

"Why do you and Naruto want me to move out so badly?"

"Your father's dead, isn't he?"

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Then move on."

"By selling the _house_?" Sakura stopped her pacing, turning to face him as she placed her hands on her hips. "Where will I stay then, hm? I'm not going to give Naruto the burden by staying with him."

Sasuke had halted his stride upon the blossom-haired girl stopping, his face twisting slightly as he looked pensive for a moment.

"Then you'll stay with me."

Sakura's eyebrows shot up at his offer. "At the Uchiha Compound?"

He gave a small shrug indifferently. "Why not, there's more than enough room."

The girl pursed her lips, her expression turning thoughtful as she contemplated his proffer. "I don't know…"

Sasuke lifted his foot slightly, kicking an idle pebble. He moved his onyx gaze; his pale hand moving as his fingers gently caressed her cheek.

"Stay with me. Let me protect you."

Sakura blinked her eyes a few times upon hearing the earnestness in his voice, feeling the gentle stroke of his fingers against her cheek. She could feel the blood pooling in her cheeks as she blushed, her heartbeat accelerating higher little by little with each passing moment.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." replied the blossom-haired girl, giving Sasuke a bright smile nonetheless as she leaned into his hand at his sincerity, knowing he didn't show that side of him often. Rising her arm, she encased her hand over his own, loosely keeping her grip as she lowered her hand with her fingers lacing through his. She leaned her upper torso forward slightly, large sea green eyes peering up at his gaze. "But I'm not a helpless little girl, you know."

"Sakura…" the raven-haired man growled faintly, his expression somewhat annoyed at her stubbornness.

Sakura giggled at his face, giving him a playful smile. "I'll think about it, okay?" Upon seeing his eyebrows furrow down at her, she couldn't help but giggle again, wounding her arms around his neck as she embraced him. "Alright, alright, I'll stay with you."

Leaning back somewhat, arms still around his neck, thick lashes rose above jade pupils. She found herself getting lost in the dark intensity of his ebony stare.

Her eyelids lowered as she tipped forward, her lips brushing against his before feeling him press his mouth against hers firmly. Instantly her eyes came to a close as she felt one arm around her waist, another at the nape of her neck as he pushed her closer, his mouth slanting over hers.

After all, now the Uchiha could do whatever affection considered "loving" with her without Hell constantly on his back, reminding him to "follow the rules." Now, as human, he had no more limitations, no more boundaries.

Moreover, despite that in Sakura's mind Sasuke was still somewhat considered a foreign person to her, having lost all recollection of him until seeing him alive, his lips against hers felt so natural and instinctive to her. Not to mention he was making her feel lightheaded.

Eventually the need for air increased in her lungs causing her to part away from him, her cheeks rosy as they flushed even more, light pants escaping her throat as his forehead rested against hers.

"We have no more restrictions," he murmured to her after a few moments. "No more bounds." Piercing onyx orbs locked with viridian ones. "Now, we can start over."

Sakura glimpsed deep in his eyes. A wide, genuine smile set place on her porcelain features.

"I'd like that."

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**D E M O N ' S F A L L**

**END**

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**A/N:**** Wow, heh, this is my new record. One of the longest chapters I've ever written for any of my stories in general. **

**Aw, I can't believe Demon's Fall is over. It got more popular than I expected, and I appreciated every single review I got. Thank you guys!  
**

**The ending, well, I've been really into the pairing Cloud and Tifa and Zach and Aeris after being re-introduced to Final Fantasy VII, so I mostly got my inspiration from that, hahaha. Honestly, in my opinion, I think Zach kind of looks like Sasuke. Except for his eyes, and slightly the back of his hair. There are some times where the his face and the front of his hair look just like Sasuke's. I see a resemblance.**

**Heh, enough of my babble. Hope you enjoyed my 18 paged length of a final chapter! **

**I'm not going to be updating for a while because I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed in seven hours. It's currently 1 in the morning. I'm going to be resting because of the swelling and the numbness and pain and etc. And school's coming up in a couple of weeks… I'll try my best with the updating.**

**And to conclude my really long Author's Note, I started this story on 1-29-07 and am completing it on 8-07-08. Thanks everyone for reading, and once and for all, read and review!**


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